Stats

Keys in Tabs for Sources

V/W/M/C20 = Vampire/Werewolf/Mage/Changeling 20th Anniversary Edition
BoS = Book of Secrets for Mage 20th Anniversary Edition
Kin = Kinfolk: A Breed Apart for Werewolf 20th Anniversary Edition

Primary Abilities

Note: Specialties may sound the same but worded different/redundant in examples. Double check with your storyteller.

TalentsSkillsKnowledges

Alertness: Knack for things going on around you.
• Novice: No mindless drone.
•• Practiced: Habitual eavesdropper
••• Competent: Sharp eye on surroundings.
•••• Expert: Rarely caught off guard (paranoid? Good sense?)
••••• Master: Senses on par with a wild animal
Specialties: Scan,Noises, Eavesdropping, Fine Details, Hidden Weapons, Crowds, Forests, Animals, Ambushes, Paranoia, Traps, Scents, Instincts, Omens, Urban Wastelands, Combat Zones, Covert Pursuit, Warning Signs, Danger Sense, Wilderness, Streets
Source(s): V20 Pg 100, W20 Pg 126, M20 Pg 275, C20 Pg 162

Art: Aka Artistic Expression. Ability with visual or performance art(drawing, singing, acting, writing, painting, dance, sculpture.)
• Novice: Creative but unskilled.
•• Practiced: Put some time/work into chosen medium.
••• Skillful: Could go pro.
•••• Expert: Working pro displaying fascinating appeal/skill.
••••• Master: Acknowledged master in chosen field.
Specialties: Painting, Video, Singing, Acting, Dance, Mixed Media, CGI, Model-Making, Classical Art, Avant-Garde, Unrefined Intuition, Mad Brilliance, Uncanny Truths, Primitive Techniques, specific musical instruments (Guitar, Drums, Piano, etc.)
Source(s): M20 Pg 275-6

Athletics: Basic athletic ability/training in sports or other rigorous activities.
• Novice: Active childhood.
•• Practiced: High-school athlete
••• Competent: Talented lifelong amateur
•••• Expert: Pro athlete
••••• Master: Olympic medalist
Specialties: Swimming, Rock Climbing, Acrobatics, Dancing, Parkour, specific sports, Team Play, Tumbling, Distance Trials, Pentathlon, Bodybuilding, Cycling, Climbing, Equestrian, Survival Training, Extreme Endurance, Flow-Arts, Skiing, Mountain Climbing, Track & Field
Source(s): V20 Pg 100, W20 Pg 126, M20 Pg 276, C20 Pg 162

Awareness: Instinctual reaction to the presence of the supernatural.
• Novice: Occasionally get the feeling something ain't right.
•• Practiced: Strange vibes sometimes from a certain directon or vague area.
••• Competent: Know something unusual is going on when you enter a room.
•••• Expert: Concentrate, and you might sense whether someone or something is supernatural in a group of people/objects.
••••• Master: Your instincts kick in and make you realize something or someone is either mundane or supernatural.
Specialties: Intuition, Ghostly Activity, Mystical Objects, Someone’s In My Head, Debunking, Omens, Auras, Resonance, Weird Feelings, Mystic Instincts, Hidden Magic, Spiritual Vidare
Source(s): V20 Pg 100-101, M20 Pg 276.

Brawl: Skill in fighting with your bare hands and feet.
• Novice: Bullied as a kid.
•• Practiced: Occasional barfight.
••• Competent: Regularly/routinely fought and usually walked away in better shape (you should see the other guy!)
•••• Expert: Could be an MMA fighter.
••••• Master: People've probably seen you online take down 3 guys in 4 seconds.
Specialties: Dirty Fighting, Strikes, Throws, Submission Holds, specific martial arts or combat styles, Boxing, Wrestling, Dirty Infighting, Weaponless Martial Arts (Judo, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, etc.), Kailindo, Barroom, Beast-Form Fighting, Disarming, Peaceful Warrior, Warrior's Halo
Source(s): V20 Pg 101, W20 Pg 127, M20 Pg 276-7, C20 Pg 162

Empathy: Understanding others' emotions.
• Novice: Occasional shoulder to cry on.
•• Practiced: Sometimes feel others' suffering.
••• Competent: Keen insight into others' motivations.
•••• Expert: Almost impossible to lie to you.
••••• Master: Human soul conceals no mysteries.
Specialties: Psychoanalysis, Emotions, Insight, Motives, Gaining Trust, Sense Lies, Hidden Motives, Emotional States, Personality Quirks, Affairs of the Heart, Hidden Feelings, Subtle Cues, Emotional Manipulation, Trust, Sensing Emotions, Life-Force Fluctuations, Interpersonal Psychology, Seeing Past the Mask, “I Know What You Need”, Desires, Falsehoods, Matters of the Heart
Source(s): V20 Pg 101, W20 Pg 127, M20 Pg 277, C20 Pg 163

Expression: Ability to get your point across clearly in conversation/poetry/tweets.
• Novice: Matured past crued poetry in notebooks.
•• Practiced: Lead a college debate team.
••• Competent: Successful writer.
•••• Expert: Pulitzer prized works.
••••• Master: Steve Jobs asks you for input.
Specialties: Networking, Negotiation, Acting, Poetry, Fiction, Impromptu, Conversation, Social Media, Rhetoric, Inspiriting Speeches, Drama, Political Doubletalk, Passion Plays, Poetic Eloquence, Motivational Speaking, Tactical Rhetoric, Preaching, Command, Shut-Downs, Rocking the Mic, Inspiring Speeches
Source(s): V20 Pg 101-2, W20 Pg 127, M20 Pg 278, C20 Pg 163
Intimidation: Outright threats/physical violence/force of personality.
• Novice: Shady teen.
•• Practiced: Gangster.
••• Competent: Drill sgt.
•••• Expert: Your air of authority cows passersby.
••••• Master: Can frighten off vicious animals.
Specialties: Veiled Threats, Pulling Rank, Physical Coercion, Blackmail, Internet, Veiled Threats, Good Cop/Bad Cop,
Blackmail, Physical Threats, Revenge, Bad Cop, BDSM, Pack Hierarchy, Cold Stare, Brutal Threats, Topping From Below, Pants-Crapping Terror, Violence, "The Look"
Source(s): V20 Pg 102, W20 Pg 127, M20 Pg 278, C20 Pg 163

Kenning: (Changeling) Faerie sight. Sense glamour in all its forms.
• Novice: Glamour tickles your senses.
•• Practiced: You get impressions from locations that house freeholds.
••• Competent: You can recognize an Undone changeling.
•••• Expert: Even the faintest traces of Glamour are clear to you.
••••• Master: The world of the supernatural is laid bare before you.
Specialties: Cantrips, Oaths, Enchantment, Trods, Hidden Magic
Source(s): C20 Pg 163

Leadership: Example to others/inspire them to do what you want.
• Novice: Little League team captain.
•• Practiced: Student body pres.
••• Competent: CEO
•••• Expert: President material.
••••• Master: Could dictate a nation.
Specialties: Oratory, Compelling, Friendly, Open, Noble, Military, Multimedia, Compelling, Open, Military, Motivation,
Combat Readiness, Competent, Inspiring, Regal, Harsh, Do-Or-Die, Soft-Voiced Command, Compelling, Military, Oration, Friendly, Dictatorial
Source(s): V20 Pg 102-3, W20 Pg 127-8, M20 Pg 278-9, C20 Pg 163

Primal-Urge: (Werewolf only) Character's connection to her beastial nature.
• Novice: Merely a pup.
•• Practiced: Instincts put you on a safe path through danger.
••• Competent: Know when something weird's going on/easy time to shift to the right form to deal with it.
•••• Expert: The wolf within you drives you to act, and it's never wrong.
••••• Master: Innate understanding of what it is to be Garou.
Specialties: Shifting Forms, Hunting, Hunches, Reacting
Source(s): W20 Pg 128.

Streetwise: You know what's going on in the streets/how to handle yourself in them.
• Novice: Know who's holding drugs.
•• Practiced: Some respect on the street.
••• Competent: Gang leader.
•••• Expert: Little fear in the worst 'hoods.
••••• Master: If you didn't hear it, it wasn't said.
Specialties: Fencing, Illegal Drugs, Illegal Weapons, Free Wifi, Gangs, Being On the Guest List, Local Slang, Illegal Guns, Unsecured Wifi, Theft, Survival Skills, Outlaw Hacker Culture, Crash Space, Street Politics, Urban Tribes, Trust, Hiding Spots, Sex Trade, Drug Trade, Music Culture, Seeing Nothing Yet Everything, Drugs, I Know a Guy, Information
Source(s): V20 Pg 103, W20 Pg 128-9, M20 Pg 279, C20 Pg 163-4

Subterfuge: How to conceal your motives and show what you wish.
• Novice: Little White lies occasionally
•• Practiced: Vampire
••• Competent: Criminal lawyer
•••• Expert: Deep-cover agent
••••• Master: Last person anyone would suspect.
Specialties: Fast-Talk, Seduction, Impeccable Lies, Feigning Mortality, the Long Con, White Lies, Feigned Innocence, Con Games, Sexual Manipulation, False Innocence, Politics, Law, Cheating, Undermining Opposition, Sensing Deceptions, Diversions, , The Long Con, Little White Lies, It Wasn’t Me
Source(s): V20 Pg 103, W20 Pg 129, M20 Pg 279, C20 Pg 164

Animal Ken: Understanding animals' behavior patterns.
• Novice: Can get a domesticated horse to let you pet it.
•• Practiced: Housebreak a puppy.
••• Competent: Train a seeing-eye dog.
•••• Expert: Circus trainer.
••••• Master: Tame wild beasts naturally.
Specialties: Dogs, Attack Training, Big Cats, Horses, Farm Animals, Falconry, Feral Animals, Sea Creatures, Riding
Source(s): V20 Pg 103-4, W20 Pg 129, C20 Pg 165

Crafts: Ability to make/fix things with your hands.
• Novice: High school wood shop.
•• Practiced: Starting to develop your own style.
••• Competent: Can start your own shop.
•••• Expert: You probably put out material on your field of specialization.
••••• Master: Your craftsmanship and insight is virtually without peer.
Specialties: Cooking, Pottery, Sewing, Home Repair, Carpentry, Appraisal, Carburetors, Woodwork, Drawing/Painting, Weaving, Carving, Sculpture, Metalworking, Gunsmithing, Auto Repair, Armor, Weaponsmith, Invention, Tailoring, Design, Vehicle Repair, Leatherwork, High-Tech Tinkering, Machinery
Source(s): V20 Pg 104, W20 Pg 129-30, M20 Pg 279-80, C20 Pg 165

Drive: Ability to drive a car.
• Novice: Automatic.
•• Practiced: Stick shift.
••• Competent: Professional trucker.
•••• Expert: NASCAR driver/tank pilot.
••••• Master: Wheelman no matter what you're driving.
Specialties: Off-Road, Motorcycles, High Speed, Heavy Traffic, Avoiding Traffic Cops, Racing, Pursuit, Shadowing, Stunts, Vintage Cars, Heavy Trucks, Long-Distance, Shaking Tails, Bad Conditions, Snow and Ice, Showing Off, Curves, Muscle Cars, Like You Stole It
Source(s): V20 Pg 104, W20 Pg 130, M20 Pg 280, C20 Pg 165

Etiquette: Nuances of proper behavior, in both mortal and supernatural societies.
• Novice: Know when to shut up.
•• Practiced: Been to a black-tie once or twice.
••• Competent: Knowledge of obscure silverware.
•••• Expert: Her Majesty considers you charming.
••••• Master: Can end or start wars if the right people came to dinner.
Specialties: At Elysium, Business, High Society, Sabbat Protocol, Moots, Tribal, Big Business, Royalty, Dining, Subcultures, International Travel, Umbral Courts, Master Mages, Internet Culture, Digital Web, Technocratic Politesse, Boardrooms, Particular Kiths, Seelie or Unseelie Courts
Source(s): V20 Pg 104, W20 Pg 130, M20 Pg 280, C20 Pg 165

Firearms: Familiarity with different firearms.
• Novice: Had a BB gun as a kid.
•• Practiced: Occasional hour at the gun club.
••• Competent: Survived a gunfight or two.
•••• Expert: Could be a sniper.
••••• Master: Dirty Harry/Rambo
Specialties: Fast-Draw, Pistols, Marksmanship, Revolvers, Shotguns, Rifles, Submachine Guns, Trick Shots, Sniper, Quick-Draw, Target Shooting, Handguns, Drive-Bys, Military Hardware, Heavy Weapons, Vintage Firearms, Cybernetic Weaponry, Fast Reload
Source(s): V20 Pg 104-5, W20 Pg 130, M20 Pg 280, C20 Pg 165

Martial Arts: Knowledge of Martial Arts styles and expertise in their use.
• Novice: Raw beginner.
•• Practiced: Experienced student.
••• Skillful: Devotee.
•••• Expert: Accomplished combatant.
••••• Master: Formidable Master.
Specialties: Soft Style (snake, monkey, drunken style, etc.), Hard Style (tiger, mantis, etc.), Aikido, Judo, Karate, Muay Thai, Kuei Lung Chuan, etc.
Source(s): M20 Pg 281

Meditation: Helps you find a spot within yourself that offers calm.
• Novice: Can ground/center for short periods.
•• Practiced: Regular practice deepened and extended your abilities.
••• Skillful: Even during distractions, you know how to find your center.
•••• Expert: "Use the Force, Luke..."
••••• Master: An island of calm is yours whenever you want/need.
Specialties: Zen, Yoga, Do, Trance, Nodes, Relaxation, Therapy, Tantra, T’ai Chi, Virtual Reality, Focus, Meditative Movement, Grace Under Pressure
Source(s): M20 Pg 281

Larceny: Knowledge of tools/techniques for things like picking locks and other criminal activity.
• Novice: Can pick a simple lock.
•• Practiced: Could run a shell game hustle.
••• Competent: Can pop open a locked window from the outside.
•••• Expert: Can "retool" a passport or ID card.
••••• Master: Can get in or out of a multinational bank's central vault.
Specialties: Safecracking, Misdirection, Lockpicking, Hotwiring, Pickpocketing, Forgery, Sleight-of-Hand
Source(s): V20 Pg 105, W20 Pg 130-1, C20 Pg 165

Melee: Ability to use all forms of hand-to-hand weapons.
• Novice: Know how to hold a knife.
•• Practiced: Occasionall street fight.
••• Competent: College fencing team.
•••• Expert: Can keep order in the Prince's court.
••••• Master: Zaitoichi.
Specialties: Knives, Swords, Improvised Weaponry, Riposte, Disarms, Spears, Klaives, Blades, Polearms, Staves, Stunts, Combat Sports, Weapons of Opportunity, Kendo, Fencing, Martial Arts Weapons, Disarming, Riposte, Rapiers, Blessed Opa
Source(s): V20 Pg 105, W20 Pg 131, M20 Pg 281-2, C20 Pg 166

Performance: Ability to perform artistic endeavours (singing/dancing/acting/musical instruments.)
• Novice: Church choir.
•• Practiced: 1k+ views on the internet.
••• Competent: Always have a gig booked.
•••• Expert: Talent to be a national sensation.
••••• Master: Virtuoso without peer.
Specialties: Misdirection, Disguise, Dancing, Singing, Rock and Roll, Acting, Guitar Solos, Drunken Karaoke, Opera, Howling, Specific Instrument, Evoke Emotion, Storytelling
Source(s): V20 Pg 105, W20 Pg 131, C20 Pg 166

Stealth: Avoid being detected.
• Novice: Hide in a dark room.
•• Practiced: Shadow someone from streetlight to streetlight.
••• Competent: Little difficulty finding prey.
•••• Expert: Move quietly over dry leaves.
••••• Master: Nosferatu elder.
Specialties: Elusion, Hiding, Silent Movement, Shadowing, Crowds, Urban, Taking Point, Hiding Objects, Blending Into Shadows, Woodlands, Alleys, Concealment, Squeaky Floors, Moving Silently, Shadowing a Target
Source(s): V20 Pg 105-6, W20 Pg 131, M20 Pg 282, C20 Pg 166

Survival: Find shelter, navigate to civilization, track prey, etc.
• Novice: Survive a night spent outside.
•• Practiced: Roughed it regularly.
••• Competent: Edible vs poisonous.
•••• Expert: Live for months in a challenging environment of your choosing.
••••• Master: Bear Grylls.
Specialties: Tracking, Woodlands, Jungle, Street Life, Hunting, Urban Exploration, Foraging, Specific Environments (Arctic, Desert, etc.), Trapping, Old-School Wisdom, Traps, Shelters, Weather Hazards, End-Times Preparedness, specific environments (Desert, Jungle, Woodlands, Suburbs, etc.)
Source(s): V20 Pg 107, W20 Pg 131, M20 Pg 282, C20 Pg 166

Academics: Literature, history, art, philosophy, other liberal arts/sciences.
• Student: Know the basics.
•• College: Can quote from/name classics.
••• Masters: Could get a paper published in a scholary journal.
•••• Doctorate: Professor emeritus.
••••• Scholar: Foremost expert of your time.
Specialties: Poststructuralism, Impressionist Painting, Imperial Rome, Color Theory, Linguistics, Ethics, Metaphysics, Sumeria, Teaching, Liberal Arts, specific field of study (History, Language, Folklore, Politics, etc.), Clovis Culture, Music Theory
Source(s): V20 Pg 107-8, W20 Pg 132, M20 Pg 283, C20 166-7

Computer: Ability to operate/program computers/mobile devices.
• Student: Touch screen/point and click.
•• College: Various internet apps.
••• Masters: Text command prompt.
•••• Doctorate: Consultant.
••••• Scholar: Have SDKs, comprehend data structures for a variety of programming languages.
Specialties: “The YouTubes,” Computer Languages, Internet, Database Administration, HCI, Viruses, specific devices and programs, Internet research, Video Editing, Photo Manipulation, Programming, General Use, Repair, IT Culture, Office Tech, Entertainment Tech, CGI, Data Systems, Hacking, Cracking, Organization, Current Market, Underground, Advanced Tech, Cryptanalysis, Zero Day Exploits, Specific Programming Languages
Source(s): V20 Pg 108, W20 Pg 132, M20 Pg 283-4, C20 167

Cosmology / Subdimensions: Known by Technocrats and many hypertech mystics as Subdimensions. Working knowledge of puzzling Otherworlds beyond the Earthly plane.
• Dabbler: Student of the mysteries.
•• Student: Occasional voyager.
••• Scholar: Experienced traveler.
•••• Professor: Seasoned explorer.
••••• Master: World-walker.
Specialties: Astral Voyaging, Courts, Paths, Hazards, Omens, Realms, Navigation, Dimensional Exploration, Threat Factors, Otherworldly Etiquette
Source(s): M20 Pg 284

Enigmas: A character's ability to solve logic problems/puzzles/mysteries.
• Student: NY Times crossword every day.
•• College: Know whodunit several chapters before ending.
••• Masters: Resident riddler.
•••• Doctorate: Recognize when you started wrong and reason to the right conclusion.
••••• Scholar: Little difficulty with deep philosophical mysteries and issues.
Specialties: Logic Problems, Lateral Thinking, Ancient Mysteries, Things Werewolves Were Not Meant to Know, Riddles, Puzzles, Metaphysics, Deduction, Zen, Arcane Enigmas, Covert Culture, Codes and Ciphers, Classic Mysteries, Intuitive Leaps, Deciphering Madness, Cryptography, Logical Leaps
Source(s): W20 Pg 132-3, M20 Pg 284, C20 Pg 167

Gremarye: (Changeling) Character's understanding of magic/lore/ways of Glamour
• Student: You grasp the fundamentals of faerie magic, such as oaths.
•• College: You are able to differentiate between similar Arts in use.
••• Masters: You have an in-depth understanding of the ebb and flow of Glamour.
•••• Doctorate: You know lost secrets that predate the Shattering.
••••• Scholar: You understand the inner workings of the Dreaming.
Specialties: Faerie Lore, Enchantment, Tarot, Prodigals, Glamour
Source(s): C20 Pg 167

Esoterica: Your general knowledge of arcane subjects.
• Dabbler: You’ve skimmed some New Age books or taken a handful of classes in the subject.
•• Student: You’ve devoted some time and energy to esoteric subjects.
••• Scholar: A devoted esotericist, you’ve spent years building up a working knowledge of odd subjects.
•••• Professor: Nowyouunderstandtheinterconnected patterns of arcane disciplines; knowing one allows you to master others more easily.
••••• Master: You possess a profound understanding of esoteric subjects and the practical uses behind them.
Specialties: Yoga, Tantra, Herbalism, Kabbalah, Fortune-Telling, Hypnosis, Astrology, Celestiography, Demonology, Sacred Geometry, Gematria, Goetia, Prophecies, Omens, T’ai Chi, I Ching, Stone Lore, Alchemy, Symbolism, Transhumanist Theory, Esoteric Musicology, Bakemono-Jutsu, Iconology, Numerology, Voodoo, Crystalmancy, Tarot, specific arcane languages (Enochian, In-o-Musubi, the Language of Flowers, etc.)
Source(s): M20 Pg 284-6

Finance: Ins and outs of commerce.
• Student: Business classes.
•• College: Some practical experience.
••• Masters: Fine stockbroker.
•••• Doctorate: Corporations follow your lead.
••••• Scholar: $20 to a fortune.
Specialties: Stock Market, Laundering, Appraisal, Foreign Currencies, Accounting, Fencing, Corporations, Federal Bailouts, Stock Markets, Investment Trends, International Trading, Warning Signs, Insider Trading, Laws, Law- Breaking, Black Markets, Currency, Power of Greed, Ars Cupiditae
Source(s): V20 Pg 108, M20 Pg 299 (Listed as Secondary Knowledge.)

Investigation: Notice details others overlook. Research/follow leads.
• Student: Parse broad web search.
•• College: Police
••• Masters: Private Investigator.
•••• Doctorate: Fed Agent.
••••• Scholar: Sherlock Holmes.
Specialties: Search, Forensics, Shadowing, Search, Discolorations, Database Research, Evidence, Ballistics, Fingerprints, Searches, Internet Research, Deduction, Interrogation, Crime Scenes, Data Sorting, Criminal Psychology, Spotting Clues, Personal Details, Paranormal Investigations
Source(s): V20 Pg 108, W20 Pg 133, M20 Pg 286, C20 Pg 167

Law: Legal statues and proper procedures for enforcing them.
• Student: Know when to plead guilty or not.
•• College: Studying for or passed the bar exam.
••• Masters: Make a living off the practice.
•••• Doctorate: Will be partner soon if not already.
••••• Scholar: Find loopholes in the Devil's contracts.
Specialties: Criminal, Suits, Courtroom Protocol, Contracts, Police Procedure, the Traditions, the Code of Milan, Fitting Punishments, Litany Breaches, Human Field (Criminal, Liability, etc.), Local Beat, Crimes, Customs, Procedures, Bribery, Internal Affairs, Courts, International Agencies, Occult Crimes, Jurisdiction, Chain of Command, Bending the Rules, Kithain Law, The Escheat
Source(s): V20 Pg 108-9, W20 Pg 133, M20 Pg 286, C20 Pg 167

Medicine: Understanding of how the human or animal body works. Medicines/ailments/first-aid procedures.
• Student: CPR Course.
•• College: Premed/Paramedic.
••• Masters: General practitioner.
•••• Doctorate: Can perform transplants.
••••• Scholar: Respected by the world's medical community.
Specialties: Organ Transplants, Emergency Care, Poison Treatments, Pathology, Pharmaceuticals, the Kindred Condition, Emergency Medicine, Forensic Pathology, Neurology, Pharmacology, Poison Treatments, Garou Physiology, First Aid, Surgery, Nursing, Veterinary Medicine, Bare-Bones Facilities, Improvised Techniques, Traditional Remedies, Alternative Medicine, Physical Deconstruction, Magickal Healing, Frankensteinian Techniques, “Live, Damn You – LIVE!”, Recreational Pharmaceuticals, Nutrition
Source(s): V20 Pg 109, W20 Pg 133-4, M20 Pg 286, C20 Pg 168

Occult: Mysticism, curses, magic, folklore. Rumor/myth/speculation/hearsay.
• Student: Blog about the eerie/disturbing.
•• College: Some unsettling truths to some rumors you've heard.
••• Masters: Heard a lot/seen a little.
•••• Doctorate: Can recognize blatantly false sources/educated guesses on the rest.
••••• Scholar: Know most basic truths about the hidden world.
Specialties: Theology, Belief System, Kindred Lore, Rituals, Infernalism, Witches, Noddist Lore, Tarot, Witchcraft, Curses, Ghosts, Psychometry, Garou Lore, Neopaganism, Occult History, Conspiracy Theories, Secret Societies, New Age, Alternative Sciences, Mystic Lore, Folk Magic, Moral Panic, Urban Legends, Satanic Folklore, Pop-Culture Satanism, Actual Satanism, any specific occult discipline or field (Freemasonry, Voodoo, Stage Magic, etc.)
Source(s): V20 Pg 109, W20 Pg 134, M20 Pg 286-7

Rituals: (Werewolf) Know about traditions/mysteries/ceremonies of the Garou.
• Student: Watched a number of rites closely.
•• College: Can carry yourself at tribal moots.
••• Masters: Other tribes invite you to attend their moots.
•••• Doctorate: Even BSDs know/respect your knowledge.
••••• Scholar: Quested into the Umbra to develop new rites.
Specialties: Accord, Caern, Death, Mystic, Punishment, Renown, Seasonal, Minor, Individual Rites, Group Rites.
Source(s): W20 Pg 134, Kin Pg 60.

Politics: Politics of the moment, including people in charge and how they became that way.
• Student: Activist.
•• College: Pol. sci. major.
••• Masters: Campaign manager/talk-radio show host.
•••• Doctorate: Senator
••••• Scholar: Could choose the next US President.
Specialties: Propaganda, City, State, Federal, Bureaucracy, Dogma, Radical, Camarilla, Legal Codes, Law Enforcement, Gang Culture, Local Government, National Government, International Politics, Corporate Influence, Media Influence, Blogosphere, Loopholes, Dog Whistles, Radical Politics, Celebrity Media, Organized Crime, Power-Brokering, Specific Groups (U.S. Congress, News Corporation, Anonymous, the Mafia, etc.), Specific Cultures (Militia Movements, Neo-Communists, Conspiracy-Theorists, Jihadis, Anarchists), Specific Supernatural Groups (Traditions, Technocracy, Faerie Courts, Vampire Courts, etc.), Neighborhood, Parliament of Dreams, Unseelie Court
Source(s): V20 Pg 109, M20 Pg 287-8, C20 Pg 168

Science: Basic understanding of most of the physical sciences (chemistry, biology, physics, geology.)
• Student: Know most high school basics.
•• College: Major theories.
••• Masters: Teach high school science.
•••• Doctorate: Capable of advancing the knowledge in your field.
••••• Scholar: Nobel Prize winner?
Specialties: Pharmacopoeia, Chemistry, Biology, Geology, Physics, Astronomy, Experiments, Theory, Chemistry, Mathematics, Almost any hard scientific field. Soft or social sciences, like history or anthropology, fall under the Academics Knowledge instead. Aeronautics, Biopsychology, Computer Science, Cybernetics, Electronics, Engineering, Forensic Pathology, Genetics, Geology, Hypermathematics, Mathematics, Metallurgy, Paraphysics, Phylogeny, Physics, Psychoynamics, Psychology, Psychopharmacology, Psychoprojection, Sociobiology, Xenobiology. Radical scientists – Etherites, Ecstatics, Virtual Adepts, and even some maverick Technocrats, among others – have dozens, perhaps hundreds, of other disciplines, ranging from Etherdynamics to Chaos Math to Coprophrenology (don’t ask…). Naturally, such sciences are not generally accepted by the community at large; this, of course, just inspires their proponents to prove how true their theories really are…, Relativity
Source(s): V20 Pg 109-10, W20 Pg 134, M20 Pg 288-89, C20 Pg 168

Technology: Broad acument with electronics/computer hardware/devices more elaborate than machines under the craft skill.
• Student: Simple mods/repairs.
•• College: Assembly/repair.
••• Masters: Design new tech from a set of objective requirements.
•••• Doctorate: It's not "can this be done?" it's "HOW can this be done?"
••••• Scholar: Visionary in the field.
Specialties: Telecom, Computers, Security, Communications, Improvised Solutions, Industrial Espionage, Jury-Rigging, Electronics, Vehicles, Modification, Invention, Media Tech, Technomagick, Robots
Source(s): VV20 Pg 110, W20 Pg 134-5, M20 Pg 282 (Listed as a Skill and not a Knowledge.), C20 Pg 168

Secondary Abilities

Note: Specialties may sound the same but worded different/redundant in examples. Double check with your storyteller.

TalentsSkillsKnowledges

Blatancy (Mage Only): Good at getting away with blatant acts of magic.
• Novice: “No, seriously – we’re filming a video.”
•• Practiced: “That just looked easy. It took me years to figure out how to do that trick.”
••• Skillful: “All the necessary permits and explanations are posted on our website.”
•••• Expert: “We did this trick on Mythbusters.”
••••• Master: “Nothing to see here – move along.”
Specialties: Religious Appeal, Political Paranoia, Stage Magic, Film Crew, Appeals to Vanity, Cool Gadgets, Geek Culture, Sheer Balls, Legal Authority, Science!, We’re On a Mission From God.
Source(s): M20 Pg 291-2.

Carousing: Specialize in sharing the good times with people. Can spark a party.
• Novice: "YOLO!"
•• Practiced: "Do a little dance/ Make a little love/ Get down tonight..."
••• Skillful: "Sin, that you might be forgiven."
•••• Expert: "The only real blasphemy is the refusal of joy."
••••• Master: "'Do what thou wilt' shall be the whole of the law."
Specialties: High Society, Teenage Mayhem, Overcoming Inhibitions, Violating Vows, Classy Debauchery, Wild Parties, Master of Ceremonies, Mystic Justifications, Get This Party Started.
Source(s): M20 Pg 292.

Diplomacy: You’ve got a knack for smoothing things over, making friends, and getting people to see past their differences. When you need to, you can also back up your guile with spine.
• Novice: Advice columnist.
•• Practiced: Relationship counselor.
••• Skillful: Hostage negotiator.
•••• Expert: Noted diplomat.
••••• Master: Jimmy Carter.
Specialties: Relationship Intervention, Hostage Negotiations, Arbitration, International Diplomacy, High-Stakes Moderation, Inter-Faction Mediators, Non-Violent Communication.
Source(s): BoS Pg 19.

Do (Mage Only): Time-honored secret of the Akashics.
• Insect: Initiated into the simplest secrets of Do, you’ve begun learning the proper methods of diet, meditation, and exercise.
•• Crawler: Like the beasts that crawl upon the earth, you’re beginning to discover the keys to a higher state. Your body, mind, and spirit have achieved a kind of unity; with that understanding, you’re capable of impressive feats. ••• Four-Footed Animal: Like the greater beasts, you have unlocked the power of natural attainment. Your hands become like claws or hooves; your body surges with a strength unknown to most of those who would consider themselves human. This is the highest level many devotees achieve, the rank of an accomplished Tao-shih.
•••• Bipedal Animal: Through great effort and understanding, you’ve opened the gates that hold lesser beings in their distracted state. Your body, mind, and spirit can accomplish miraculous things, and you have earned the right to be considered a true heir of Do, a Sihing. To go beyond this point requires supreme devotion and a practice that typically takes lifetimes to refine.
••••• True Humanity: Your devotion has returned you to the original state of human grace. At this point, you no longer concern yourself with what can be done, but merely with what should be done. Only now might you be regarded as a Sifu: a Master of the Way.
Specialties: External (forceful) Style, Internal (meditative) Style, Weapon Forms, Energetic Alchemy, Katas, Animal-Form Techniques.
Source(s): M20 Pg 292-3.

Flying (M+/Supernatural): You can fly. Must have either wings or the innate/magickal power of flight.
• Novice: Suicide case.
•• Practiced: Awkward angel.
••• Skillful: Quidditch player.
•••• Expert: Winged avenger.
••••• Master: Wind-dancer.
Specialties: Jetpack, Broomsticks, Sports, Aerial Combat, Hunting, Strafing, Carrying Passengers, Chi-Based Levitation.
Source(s): M20 Pg 293.

High Ritual (Mage Only): Reflects a familiarity with rituals appropriate to your spiritual or magickal pursuits.
• Novice: You could plan a wedding, call the corners, or recite the Stations of the Cross.
•• Practiced: Your parties and rites earn respect from your community.
••• Skillful: Beyond your familiarity with specific rituals, you’ve begun learning about other practices as well.
•••• Expert: An acclaimed priest or priestess, you’ve got a knack for powerful ceremonies and a broad understanding of specific ritual techniques.
••••• Master: You’ve mastered not only the rites of your culture but many ritual practices of other cultures too. So potent is your knowledge that you could make atheists into believers.
Specialties: High Mass, Obscure Rituals, Spontaneous Rituals, Secular Ceremonies, Music Concerts, Impossible Miracles, specific cultural rites (Jewish, Catholic, Satanic, Voudoun, etc.)
Source(s): M20 Pg 293-4.

Intrigue: Machiavelli’s ghost smiles upon you. In the vicious whirlpools of backstabbing power, you’re a force to be reckoned with. A combination of instincts, audacity, knowledge, guile, and ruthlessness gives you insights and edges that most folks lack.
• Novice: Ned Stark.
•• Practiced: Cersei Lannister.
••• Skillful: Varys the Spider.
•••• Expert: Littlefinger.
••••• Master: Tyrion Lannister.
Specialties: Alliances, Betrayals, Tangled Webs, Watching from Afar, International Intrigue, Corporate Politics, Bargains and Deals, Player of Pawns, Ruthless Bastard, Life-or-Death Stakes.
Source(s): BoS 19-20.

Lucid Dreaming (M+/Supernatural Only): Lets you manipulate your surroundings in a dream (Perception + Lucid Dreaming, difficulty 6); shape new structures (difficulty 8); or take complete control over that dream and your place in it (difficulty 9).
• Novice: You’re aware of your dreams and can remember them if you choose.
•• Practiced: You can try to dream a certain dream.
••• Skillful: Some control over your dreams.
•••• Expert: You know how to influence and read dreams as aspects of your inner self.
••••• Master: You understand the metaphysical elements of dreams and can manipulate them, recall them, inspire them, or share them to your will.
Specialties: Dream Control, Waking From Nightmares, Puzzling Enigmas, Visionquesting, Omens, Dream Combat, Demesne.
Source(s): M20 Pg 294.

Mimicry: A skilled imitator, you can mimic voices or sounds; the higher your rating, the greater your ability.
• Novice: You mock celebrities for fun.
•• Practiced: Given time and practice, you can mimic a decent range of accents and voices.
••• Skillful: Your impersonations can fool folks who’re familiar with the people or sounds you’re imitating.
•••• Expert: You’re like that dude in those old Police Academy flicks.
••••• Master: Your ability to mimic almost anyone or anything is downright unsettling.
Specialties: Accents, Deception, Animal Cries, Comedic Effects, Celebrity Impressions, Voice-Activated Tech.
Source(s): BoS Pg 21.

Scrounging: You’re pretty good at spotting goodies in the oddest places. A skilled scavenger, you can discover all kinds of unlikely stuff.
• Novice: You and Macklemore hit thrift shops together.
•• Practiced: You are Macklemore.
••• Skillful: You scrounge most of what you need from society’s cast-offs.
•••• Expert: Given enough time and trash, you could find almost anything you need.
••••• Master: Money-wise, you live off little or nothing.
Specialties: Classified Ads, Freecycling, Food Sources, Forgotten Corners, Shelter, Improvised Weapons, Tech Sources, Digging Up Info.
Source(s): BoS Pg 22.

Seduction: A master of attraction, you can draw people into engagements they might otherwise ignore or avoid.
• Novice: You can score desperate drunks.
•• Practiced: You can have almost anyone you want.
••• Skillful: You’re good enough to get people to go against their better natures.
•••• Expert: Turn on the charm, turn off their brains.
••••• Master: Vows, homes, hearts, and marriages are yours to break at will.
Specialties: Raw Sex, Appealing to Kinks, False Innocence, Topping From Below, Subtle Moves, “Let’s be Bad Guys,” Crude But Effective.
Source(s): M20 Pg 295.

Style: You know how to look good. And although you’ve got an eye for fashion, this Talent’s not so much about what you wear as how you wear it.
• Novice: Clothes horse.
•• Practiced: Sharp dresser.
••• Skillful: Professional model.
•••• Expert: Lady Gaga.
••••• Master: Queer Eye for the Mage Guy.
Specialties: Bohemian, Outrageousness, Classic Style, High Fashion, Cosplay, Trend-Setting, Newest Looks, Avant-Garde.
Source(s): BoS Pg 22.

Archery: You can shoot humanity’s most venerable long-distance weapon: the bow. Beyond its obvious practical applications, this Skill can become a meditative art as well – and is practiced as such by Zen archers and other enthusiasts. Because bows launch wooden shafts, they make good weapons against vampires... and because they’re almost silent, bows offer efficient gear for assassins and spies as well.
• Novice: Kid in archery class.
•• Practiced: SCAdian archer.
••• Skillful: Bow-hunter.
•••• Expert: Katniss Everdeen.
••••• Master: Legolas.
Specialties: Longbow, Crossbow, Hunting, Horse-Archery, Trick Shots, Killing Shots, Kyudou Techniques, Arched Flight, Primitive Archery.
Source(s): M20 Pg 295.

Biotech (Mage Only): Bodies are the original machines, and technology invents new machines to go along with them. You understand the connections between organic and mechanical systems and can work the places where they interface.
• Novice: Given a basic understanding of biotech principles, you’ve seen the design and implementation of such technology. Despite your lack of experience, you might be able to make very simple repairs if need be.
•• Practiced: Now you’ve got the experience to make basic repairs and can design and install simple biotech machines.
••• Skillful: Honed by study, field work, and laboratory experimentation, you’ve got serious chops with regards to cybernetic technology.
•••• Expert: You’re good enough to create, install, and maintain radical designs, perform major overhauls on existing tech, and employ almost any biotech Device or Procedure within your field. (Weird stuff from those demented Etherites is probably beyond your grasp... but really, does anyone truly understand those mad bastards?)
••••• Master: You could compare notes with Tony Stark.
Specialties: Cloning, Cybernetics, Mad Theories, Repair, Field Mods, Redesign, Nanotech, Floronics, Biomechanisms, Biomods, Web-Based Interface.
Source(s): M20 Pg 295-6.

Energy Weapons (Mage Only): This Ability reflects a basic understanding of energy weapon technology (or at least the ability to turn it on, point it in the right direction, and not blow your own hand off with it), and the essential skills involved in handling, maintaining, adjusting, loading, and storing the tools of Technocratic security.
• Novice: Imperial Stormtrooper.
•• Practiced: Competent shooter.
••• Skillful: Average Technocratic field operative.
•••• Expert: Elite Op.
••••• Master: “Phased plasma rifle in the 40-Watt range...”
Specialties: Heavy Weapons, Experimental Tech, Repair, Small Arms, Field Modifications, Cybernetic Weaponry, Micro-Gravitational Operations, Sniper, Pulp-Tech.
Source(s): M20 Pg 296.

Fencing/Kenjutsu: As with most martial arts, a dedicated study of swordsmanship includes philosophy, meditation, vigorous exercise, and a refinement of mind, body, and soul… which makes it an excellent magickal focus technique. In game terms, this Skill lets a character use an array of specialized combat maneuvers.
• Novice: “The pointy end goes into the other man.”
•• Practiced: Kikuchiyo or Elizabeth Swann.
••• Skillful: Katsushiro Okamoto or Elena Montero.
•••• Expert: Inigo or the Dread Pirate Roberts.
••••• Master: Ogami Itto or the Bride.
Specialties: Sport Fencing, Stage Combat, Movie Combat, Magickal Focus, Dirty Tricks, Florentine (two-bladed) Style, Sabers, Practical Dueling, Fancy Stunts.
Source(s): BoS Pg 24.

Fortune-Telling/Assessment Analysis: Whether or not you actually possess accurate gifts of prophecy, you often have folks believing that you do. Scanning anything from cards to entrails to scripture verses, you can convincingly predict future events, read a person, or otherwise get someone to believe in your incredible prescience. This makes an excellent instrument for Mind-, Entropy- or Time-based magicks, although its believability (and thus, its ability to be considered coincidental) will depend upon both your audience and your own beliefs. A true believer will easily accept an accurate Tarot reading, but a skeptic might prove far harder to convince. A Technocratic variation, Assessment Analysis, does exactly the same thing but with a very different explanation. Instead of using symbolic or religious trappings, such Analysis involves psychological cues, deductive reasoning, body language, and other methods to read a person’s inner landscape, predict potential behaviors, or estimate the probabilities of future events. This lets Assessment Specialists size people up at a glance, determine accurate calculations, or strip away deceptions to perceive the truth beneath them. In the modern world, this sort of thing tends to be coincidental, so long as the Specialist can point out cues or clues that might lead to a rational conclusion.
• Novice: You know your way around a single divination method well enough to convince people of what they want to hear.
•• Practiced: You’re pretty convincing with your chosen method, and you understand one or two other methods as well.
••• Skillful: You can rattle off credible readings with a handful of different methods, and can be frighteningly precise with your specialty.
•••• Expert: An expert at the means and principles of divination (or analysis), you can assure most people that you know what you’re talking about.
••••• Master: Your mastery of divinatory arts convinces even hardened skeptics that you have special insight into the invisible world. Even if you practice Analysis instead of absurd superstitionism, your insights are downright spooky. Specialties: Tarot, Palm-Reading, Bibliomancy, Astrology, Threat /Risk Assessment, Deductive Reasoning, Probability Calculation, Uncanny Hunch.
Source(s): BoS Pg 24-5.

Gambling: Games of nerve and chance are your specialties. Even without the aid of Entropy Arts (which can add adevastating edge to this Skill), you’re good at gauging odds, bluffing rivals, spotting cheats, hedging bets, faking people out, and employing the mind-games and slight-of-hand essential to card games, betting, and apparently random luck.
• Novice: Poker-night shark.
•• Practiced: Vegas tourist.
••• Skillful: Professional gambler.
•••• Expert: High-roller.
••••• Master: “Your call, Mr. Bond...”
Specialties: Poker, Roulette, High-Stakes Gambling, Esoteric Games, Cheating, Casino Games, Horse Races, Slot Machines, Dealing, Bluffing, Card-Counting, Entropic Influence.
Source(s): BoS Pg 25.

Hypertech (Mage Only): At Ranks 1 and 2, a character with this Skill understands only the principles behind her own group’s Devices; an Etherite, for example, can puzzle out the workings of a colleague’s contraptions, but she would wind up stymied by, say, an Iteration X Device. At Rank 3 and above, however, that same mag... I mean, scientist could decipher the odd perversions of scientific truth behind such alien Devices – and, by extension, could use or even modify them. In game terms, this means that a successful Hypertech roll would allow a technomancer to employ a tool or Device that would not normally work for him due to its secure or unconventional design. If you’re running a Technocratic operative, this is a pretty big deal; the warped confections of mad scientists begin to make a practical kind of sense... which means, of course, that you can now convert those insane Devices to more sensible purposes. Your Hypertech rating cannot be higher than your rating in the Technology Skill. If you don’t understand the basics, after all, how will you wrap your head around the big stuff? As with the Computer Knowledge, your ability to focus Sphere Effects through hypertech may be limited to the dots in your Hypertech Trait.
• Novice: You understand basic theories of alternative sciences.
•• Practiced: “Esoterica” is just another word for the obvious.
••• Skillful: You can wrap your head around the technological perversions of other groups.
•••• Expert: Technologies of your foes and rivals dance to the tune you program for them.
••••• Master: So rich is your comprehension of the universe that few technologies elude your command.
Specialties: Hacking-n-Cracking, Improvisation, Repair, Jury-Rigging, Radical Conversions, Weaponsmith, Computers, Microtech, Nanotech, Experimental Theories, Ethertech Theories, Street Mods, Anarchtech.
Source(s): M20 Pg 296-7.

Jury-Rigging: With a bit of luck and a lot of skill, you can rig a gadget, make temporary repairs, or cobble together something vaguely workable from a pile of spare parts. Naturally, you’ll need the appropriate Traits as well – stuff like Hypertech, Computers, Energy Weapons, and so forth. You can’t rig something you don’t understand. A brilliant technician, though, can make gear jump through hoops long enough to get through an immediate crisis.
• Novice: Garage tinkerer.
•• Practiced: Mr. Fixit.
••• Skillful: Field gadgeteer.
•••• Expert: MacGyver.
••••• Master: Tony Friggin’ Stark.
Specialties: Scraps, Repairs, Found Objects, Field Modifications, “How’d You do That?”
Source(s): BoS Pg 27.

Microgravity Operations (Mage Only): Things get weird when you leave Earth’s gravity. Although there’s no such thing as true“ zero-G,” the radically altered gravitational forces found in strange Realms, spacecraft or Etherspace demand specialized training and experience. Without the Microgravity Operations Skill, a character in such environments cannot use dice from any Physical Ability; sure, he’s still strong or dexterous, but that martial arts training won’t do him a damn bit of good when the physics upon which those arts depend have been replaced by micro-gravity. A rare skill-set outside the ranks of Technocratic Void Engineers, Microgravity Operations teaches you how to move and act in altered gravity. Each dot in this Skill allows your character to use a dot in his other physical Abilities. Let’s say that the guy mentioned above has four dots in Martial Arts; he could use one of them at Microgravity 1, two at Microgravity 2, and so on. Without such training, a person bounces and floats with very little control of personal physics; with this Skill, that same person knows how to use that environment to his advantage.
• Novice: Don’t hyperventilate and don’t throw up.
•• Practiced: You’re good so long as you have something to hang on to.
••• Skillful: It feels weird, but you’ve started to get the hang of things.
•••• Expert: You move almost as well in micro-G as you do on Earth.
••••• Master: You’ve spent so much time in space that you’re not sure what earthly gravity feels like anymore.
Specialties: Low-G, Micro-G, Vacuum Suit, Combat, Extra-Vehicular Maneuvers.
Source(s): BoS Pg 27.

Pilot: Most folks, when confronted with the complex control panels of conventional aircraft, don’t have the slightest idea where to start. You do. Training and experience allow you to fly, land, and control most types of Sleepertech flying machines; the higher your rating, the more sophisticated the craft.
• Novice: Small prop planes.
•• Practiced: Private jets.
••• Skillful: Commercial aircraft.
•••• Expert: Military war machines.
••••• Master: Damn near anything.
Specialties: Helicopters, Jets, Vintage Aircraft, Jet Fighters, Stunts, Combat, Hovercraft, Emergencies.
Source(s): BoS Pg 28.

Security: Locks are for morons. In our high-tech era, anything worth keeping is guarded by advanced security systems. As a specialist in such systems, you can analyze, install, access, and – when necessary – subvert or disable them. A common vocation among Technocratic operatives and their enemies, this Skill handles networks that turn a sneak-thief’s world upside-down.
• Novice: You’ve skimmed some manuals.
•• Practiced: Trained on one side of the law.
••• Skillful: Trained on both sides of the law.
•••• Expert: You’ve designed (or defeated) extensive networks.
••••• Master: Catwoman.
Specialties: Computer Systems, Laser Arrays, Cat Burglary, Containment Traps, Video Surveillance Networks.
Source(s): BoS Pg 29.

Torture: Whatever means you use to justify this skill, you excel at causing mental, physical, and perhaps spiritual distress.
• Novice: Playground bully.
•• Practiced: Bad cop.
••• Skillful: Covert ops interrogator.
•••• Expert: Elite pro dom.
••••• Master: Nazi doctor, Spanish Inquisitor, or serial killer.
Specialties: Mind Games, Exquisite Techniques, Prolonged Agony, Classical Devices, Sexplay, Self-Torment, Information Retrieval, “Works of Art,” Pain – Not Harm.
Source(s): M20 Pg 298.

Area Knowledge: You know a certain area like the back of your hand. In game terms, choose a particular region (no larger than a city) that your character has a reason to know about.
• Dabbler: You’ve studied up on the area in question.
•• Student: You’ve lived there a while.
••• Scholar: You’ve spent lots of time getting to know the local secrets.
•••• Professor: There’s not much about the place you don’t know.
••••• Master: "My city calls me, and I answer..."
Specialties: History, Geography, Wildlife, Politics, Shortcuts, Getaways, Crime, Rumors, Hideouts, Gangs, Information Sources, Well-Hidden Secrets
Source(s): M20 Pg 298.

Culniral Savvy: You’re a walking travel guide, even in places you’ve never visited before. A combination of prior knowledge and innate savvy helps you spot cultural sweet spots and pitfalls before you (or your companions) trip over your own ignorance. Unlike the Etiquette Skill, this Knowledge is less about making friends than it is about figuring out how cultures work as a whole. With it, you can grasp foreign manners, catch subtle cues, unravel complex social roles, and draw conclusions about the importance of gender, politics, ethnicity, and – perhaps most importantly – the cultural expectations of the people in question.
• Dabbler: You read travel guides for fun.
•• Student: You’re a smart tourist.
••• Scholar: A cultural chameleon, you catch on fast.
•••• Professor: Versed in several societies, you know more than many natives do.
••••• Master: The world is your playground, your oyster, and your home.
Specialties: Manners, Taboos, Social Graces, Social Castes, Local Politics, Subtle Cues, Religion, Regional History, Gender Politics, Unspoken Rules.
Source(s): BoS Pg 29.

Demolitions: You know how to make things go BOOM, usually without blowing yourself to bits in the process. This perilous specialty becomes especially important in the new millennium, when Improvised Explosive Devices are weapons of choice and opportunity.
• Novice: Model kits, fireworks, and you.
•• Practiced: Anarchy!
••• Skillful: You’ve trained with explosive compounds, devices, and precautions.
•••• Expert: "Stand back – I’m a professional."
••••• Master: A master of disasters, you can defuse, as well as create, a wide range of explosive devices.
Specialties: IEDs, Bomb Disposal, Stage Effects, Fireworks, Car Bombs, Improvised Materials, Magickal Enhancement, Building Demolition, "Watch This!"
Source(s): M20 Pg 299.

Helmsman (Mage Only): The baroque complexity of starship controls is enough to give most folks a headache. Not you. Rigorous training and practice have taught you how to maneuver the weird craft that operate beyond the mundane realm. Although you probably need a support crew to help you (starships are complicated!), you’re got practical knowledge regarding the various screens, buttons, keys, and monitors involved in navigating and steering such advanced vehicles. Despite some cosmetic similarities to the Pilot Skill above, Helmsman works with a very different sort of vehicle. And because this Skill deals with spacecraft, very few characters – other than Void Engineers and certain Etherites – know that it exists… and even fewer have studied its techniques. On a related note, there are some pretty significant differences between the standardized controls of Technocratic-fleet vessels and the more… um, elegant designs of unique Etherite craft. In game terms, the Storyteller should impose a penalty, typically -1 to -3, on a helmsman who’s trying to puzzle out an unfamiliar set of controls. Oh, the consequences of a blown roll can be downright ugly. In (Ether)space, no one can hear you die.
• Novice: You’re been trained in basic shuttle operations.
•• Practiced: They let you take the helm when things are calm.
••• Skillful: You’re an experienced helmsman who’s seen some scrapes and come through fine.
•••• Expert: “Mr. Sulu – take the helm!”
••••• Master: Han Solo considers you a peer.
Specialties: Combat, Navigation, Crisis Situations, Improvised Circumstances, Guesstimation, Etherite Gadgetry, Extended Trips.
Source(s): BoS Pg 31.

Herbalism: You have studied plants with an eye to using healing herbs as well as cooking herbs. You believe that herbs are far and away better than pharmaceuticals, since they are purer and less likely to be tampered with. In fact, you tend to distrust anything made by Big Pharma, even to the extent of making your own aspirin from scratch whenever possible. You enjoy using herbs in food preparation as well and are known for your particularly tasty dishes. Perhaps you even “spike” your soufflés and casseroles with certain herbs that provide extra nutrients or enhance immune systems. You know how to grow herbs, harvest and prepare them, and may even have your own herbal business. You know how to make soaps, dyes, lotions, and other products using natural products. The systems use of herbs is in the hands of the Storyteller. Suggestions include: slightly improved healing times (with regular administrations of poultices and/or teas and elixirs), calming and soothing, stimulant effects, etc. Herbs, when used properly, can help heal wounds and illnesses and mitigate symptoms without the adverse side effects and addictions that often come with the use of modern pharmaceuticals. Kinfolk far removed from urban areas and without health insurance find Herbalism to be a vital means for maintaining a healthy community.
• Student: You are able to make some basic herbal mixtures and can identify most standard herbs.
•• College: You can identify, plant, grow and harvest just about any herb, with the exception of extremely exotic or rare herbs. You can make most herbal concoctions and treat some wounds and illnesses.
••• Master: You are a doctor of herbs. You may have an advanced degree in botany or in herbal studies, or you may have acquired your knowledge through an apprenticeship and years of study. You can diagnose many types of illnesses and prescribe herbal cures for them, and treat most wounds with herbal poultices and such.
•••• Doctor: You may have a doctorate in botany, herbal medicine, or some other advanced study relating to herbs, or you may have outstripped your own teacher and are now passing your knowledge along to students. You can make complex herbal cures and treat any wound with confidence. You also make a mean ratatouille!
••••• Scholar: You could put your herbal knowledge into a book; perhaps you’ve already done so. If you wanted to, you could teach at a university level. You may have lectured on herbs or even acted as a consultant to several medical boards or herbal institutions. “Herb” might as well be your first name.
Specialties: Medicinal Herbs, Growth and Preservation, Herbal Healing, Potions, Household Products, Poisons
Source(s): Kin Pg 59.

Media: Mass media is mass reality… and you know how to shape both. The fine art and science of crafting public perception is yours to employ. You know who to call, what to tell them, which strings to pull, and probably how to make a tasty profit off the end result.
• Dabbler: Mass-Com major.
•• Student: Reporter.
••• Scholar: Career journalist.
•••• Professor: Network honcho.
••••• Master: Rupert Murdoch.
Specialties: Spin Control, Politics, Leverage, Slander, Media Law, International Media, Propaganda, Panic, Subversion, Local News, Internet Media, Alternative Sources, Movies, TV, Cable News, Media Consolidation, Top-Down Influence, Entertainment, Advertising, Walking The Line Between Truth And Fiction.
Source(s): M20 Pg 300.

Power-Brokering: When it’s time to set up puppets and get them dancing, this Ability reflects your ability to consolidate connections, facilitate access, introduce power-players to one another, and then lay foundations for the type of influence that gets things done. An “offstage” ability (like Research and Networking), Power-Brokering allows you to set up and manipulate networks of authority and then sit in the center of them and employ the folks who owe you favors
• Dabbler: You know how to talk to receptionists. •• Student: Getting your foot in the door… and keeping it there… is easy enough. ••• Scholar: Power-players know your name and take your calls. •••• Professor: “Mr. Koch will see you now.” ••••• Master: World-leaders consider you a friend. Specialties: Media, Politics, High Finance, Hollywood, Tribal Councils, United Nations, Corporate Powers, Megacorporations, Underworld, Prison Culture, Inner Circles, Deals, Backscratching, Blackmail, Schmoozing, Making Friends. Source(s): BoS Pg 32-3.

Vice: You’re a master and a scholar of decadent pleasures. Sex, drugs, booze, and other thrills both common and forbidden are your specialty. You might be a vice cop or Interpol agent tasked with cleaning such places up; a criminal rooted in those undergrounds; a wizard with a shady past; or a sensation-seeker of the first and final order. Perhaps you’re a sex-worker, a drugmule, or some other street-level professional… or a tourist in places the guidebooks never mention. Regardless of the source of your information, you know how to find dens of iniquity, chase your favorite dragons, and get what you want or need without getting killed in the process… that is, of course, assuming that you “get lucky” and stay that way.
• Dabbler: Mr. Bachelor Party.
•• Student: Taxi driver or hotel concierge.
••• Scholar: Vice cop.
•••• Professor: Working pro.
••••• Master: Overlord of Sin.
Specialties: Nightclubs, Strip Clubs, Fetish Clubs, Drug Dens, Networks, Black Markets, Sex Work, Key Players, Secret Clients, Human Trafficking, Internet Sources, International Vice Trade, Forbidden Thrills, the Worst of the Worst, Moving Through The Underworld, Born and Raised in Hell.
Source(s): BoS Pg 34.

Attributes

Note: Specialties may sound the same but worded different/redundant in examples. Double check with your storyteller.

PhysicalSocialMental

Strength: Your character's raw and brute power.
• Poor: Lift/Carry 40 lbs (about 20 kgs).
•• Average: 100 lbs (close to 50 kgs).
••• Good: 250 lbs (a little over 100 kgs).
•••• Exceptional: 400 lbs (close to 200 kgs).
••••• Outstanding: 650 lbs (nearly 300 kgs)
Specialties: Never Lets Go, Powerful Arms, Reserves of Strength, Vicious, Steely Grip, Lower Body, Lean, Deceptive Strength, Raw Power, Iron Grip, Long Jumping, Vice Grip, Broad Shoulders, Mighty Blows
Source(s): V20 Pg 96-7, W20 Pg 124, M20 Pg 273, C20 Pg 160

Dexterity: Your character's general physical prowess. Speed, agility, overall quickness.
• Poor: Clumsy.
•• Average: Okay enough.
••• Good: Athletic potential.
•••• Exceptional: Could be an acrobat.
••••• Outstanding: Almost superhuman.
Specialties: Precise, Swift, Feline Grace, Lightning Reflexes, Preternatural Grace, Nimble Fingers, Smooth, Graceful, Nimble, Feline Reflexes, Hand-Eye Coordination, Catlike Reflexes, Swift, Steady Hand, Sure-Footed
Source(s): V20 pg 97, W20 Pg 124, M20 Pg 273, C20 Pg 160

Stamina: Health, toughness, resilience. How long you can exert yourself and how much punishment you can withstand.
• Poor: Fragile.
•• Average: Moderately healthy.
••• Good: Good shape.
•••• Exceptional: Can run (and win?) a Marathon!
••••• Outstanding: Herculean constitution.
Specialties: Tireless, Determined, Tough as Nails, Vigorous, Unbreakable, Resilient, Tough, Tenacious, Inexhaustible, Energizer Bunny, Unyielding, Do-or-Die, Vigorous
Source(s): V20 Pg 97, W20 Pg 124, M20 Pg 273-4, C20 Pg 160-1

Charisma: Entice/please others through your personality.
• Poor: Kinda sketchy.
•• Average: Generally likeable.
••• Good: Implicit trust in you.
•••• Exceptional: Personal magnetism.
••••• Outstanding: Can lead entire cultures.
Specialties: Graceful, Smooth Talker, Forceful, Urbane, Witty, Eloquent, Hustler, Air of Confidence, Captivating, Commanding Voice, Infectious Humor, Charming, Sexy, Bold, Inspirational, Sophisticated, Regal, Silver-Tongued, Outgoing
Source(s): V20 Pg 97, W20 Pg 124, M20 Pg 274, C20 Pg 161

Manipulation: Getting others to do what you want.
• Poor: Person of few (ineffectual?) words.
•• Average: Can fool some people sometimes.
••• Good: You haggle well.
•••• Exceptional: Politician/Cult leader.
••••• Outstanding: "I'll definitely tell him I robbed him!"
Specialties: Persuasive, Seductive, Well-Reasoned, Misdirection, Conjurer of “Facts”, Forked Tongue, Unswerving Logic, Doubletalk, Seduction, Guile, Charm, Eloquence, Emotional Appeals, True Believer, Cunning, Well-Reasoned, Glib, Fast Talker
Source(s): V20 Pg 97-8, W20 Pg 125, M20 Pg 274, C20 Pg 161

Appearance: How well you make a first impression. Anything remarkable on initial observation.
• Poor: Ugly/Clothes stink/Turn people off.
•• Average: You don't stand out in a crowd.
••• Good: Get approached at bars.
•••• Exceptional: People try to make your acquaintance.
••••• Outstanding: Unforgettable.
Specialties: Unconventional Looks, Photogenic, Fashion Sense, Unforgettable Face, Memorable Pose, Genial, Exotic, Alluring, Noble Bearing, Cute, Hawt, Captivating, Roguish, Adorable, Classic Hollywood Beauty, Commanding, Style
Source(s): V20 Pg 98-9, W20 Pg 125, M20 Pg 274, C20 Pg 161

Perception: Ability to observe your environment.
• Poor: Self-absorbed? Airhead?
•• Average: Aware of the big picture.
••• Good: Perceive small changes to environment/moods/textures.
•••• Exceptional: Almost nothing escapes you.
••••• Outstanding: Instantly observe things almost imperceptible to human senses.
Specialties: Attentive, Insightful, Careful, Discerning, Tactical, Eyes in the Back of Your Head, Farsighted, Uncanny Instincts, Detail-Oriented, Uncanny Insight, Astute, Intuitive, Sharp Senses, Hawkeye, Vigilant, Clairvoyant, Insightful
Source(s): V20 Pg 99, W20 Pg 125, M20 Pg 274, C20 Pg 161

Intelligence: Grasp of facts/knowledge.
• Poor: Dullest crayon.
•• Average: Smart enough to realize you're average.
••• Good: More enlightened than most.
•••• Exceptional: Brilliant.
••••• Outstanding: Genius.
Specialties: Book Knowledge, Creative, Analytical, Problem Solver, Subject Authority, Lateral Problem Solver, Creative Logic, Probability Calculation, Trivia, Book-Learning, Deep Thoughts, Bright, Creative, Keen-Edged Mind, Scholarly, Subject Expertise, Logical
Source(s): V20 Pg 99, W20 Pg 125-6, M20 Pg 275, C20 Pg 161-2

Wits: Think on your feet/react quickly to certain situations.
• Poor: Uhh... whut?
•• Average: Know when to hold 'em and fold 'em in poker.
••• Good: Seldom surprised/speechless.
•••• Exceptional: Make others realize "why didn't I think of that?"
••••• Outstanding: Think/respond quicker than you can act.
Specialties: Getting the Jump on Others, Witty Bon Mots, Changes in Strategy, Ambushes, Snappy Retorts, Ambushes, Cool-Headed, Cunning, Combat Reflexes, Street Survivor, Cunning, Feral, Fox-Witted, Instinctive, Clever Retorts, Pre-Emptive, Change of Plans
Source(s): V20 Pg 99-100, W20 Pg 126, M20 Pg 275, C20 Pg 162

Backgrounds

GeneralVampireGhoulWerewolfKinfolkMagesChangelingsFeraPossessedBygonePsychic/Sorcerer

Backgrounds: Hunter's Hunted 2 Pg 122 - 123

Mob 

The media and social networks of the information age offer a crafty Inquisitor new and innovative tools for organizing congregations into witch-hunting mobs. Zealotry surges through the new vectors of status updates. Fiery sermons sound from home to home via video chat. General Inquisitor Bauer personally instructs her subordinates in these techniques, and you have learned well. These folk are not as educated in the ways of the Enemy as you, and they do not command miracle-working faith or occult power. But they are angry. They are armed. And they are not going to take it anymore. You will find that a mob is much like weaponized fire: a destructive force that puts the fear of God in the hearts of monsters, but one that easily spreads out of control.
• You command a mob of two people.
•• You command a mob of four people.
••• You command a mob of seven people.
•••• You command a mob of fifteen people.
••••• You command a mob of twenty-five people.

Reliquary 

You have been granted access to the reliquary of the Church. The vaults of the Vatican are ancient, dark, and deep, and many are the occulted secrets within — from holy relics to the terrible devices of witchery that the Church locks away to keep from blasphemous hands. This Background allows you to possess such a supernatural artifact and represents both a privilege and a responsibility, as you are the keeper of the relic. The loss or destruction of the item consumes any Background points spent, and the Society may think twice before opening the reliquary to you in the future. The Storyteller has the final say on a relic’s value and powers. Some example relics can be found on pp. 157-158. Players may opt to pool Background points for a shared relic. See pp. 118-119 of V20 for more information on pooled Backgrounds.
• You possess a minor relic.
•• You possess a useful relic.
••• You possess a relic of significant power.
•••• You possess a relic of incredible power.
••••• You possess a relic mentioned in many legends.

Backgrounds: Hunter's Hunted Pg 140

Artifact Artifacts are items strong in supernatural potency. This Background allows you to begin play with such an artifact in your possession. Either it was a family heirloom, or a mentor in the Arcanum bequeathed it to you, or you found it early in your career and the Arcanum hasn’t yet requested it for “further study.” The Storyteller should create something suitable for you based on the dots in this Background. Talk about what you want with the Storyteller. Truly legendary artifacts (such as Roland’s sword Durandal, or the chalice of Kai Khusrau) are objects of great quests and cannot be purchased with this Trait. Some examples of potential artifacts are presented on p. 123. Players may opt to pool Background points for a shared artifact. See pp. 118-119 of V20 for more information on pooled Backgrounds. •  A minor artifact ••  A useful artifact •••  An artifact of significant power ••••  A much-sought artifact •••••  An artifact of incredible power

Requisitions Hunter's Hunted 2 Pg 155-6

Each of these items has a Requisition cost; this is the amount that a character must spend from her Requisition Background to acquire the item. Storytellers may allow some hunters to use the Armory Background instead.

Ammo 

Armor-Piercing Bullets (•• per box of 24): A box of armor-piercing rounds (ignores 1 level of Armor Rating). 
Military-grade ammo, an intelligence agent who uses armorpiercing ammo must be able to justify using it. 
Silver Bullets (•• per box of 24): A box of silver bullets. Each box is issued for one weapon. 

Armor 

Kevlar Vest (•): Standard issue in armed hostage situations. Armor Rating 3. 
Neck Guard (•): A flexible strip of flesh-colored Kevlar, reinforced with ceramic plates, giving Armor Rating 5 to neck attacks (such as from a vampire’s bite). The wearer’s Perception rolls are at -1 dice due to the difficulty in moving his head from side to side. 
Riot Gear (•••): Full riot control gear, very obviously marked with the agency’s identifier to prevent friendlyfire. Armor Rating 5. Forensics Lab Access (•): You can get access to a forensics lab to run your own tests, including autopsies, ballistics tests, blood, and DNA analysis. You can also use the equipment for non-standard tests. 
Forensic Team (••): You can requisition a team of forensic scientists from a friendly intelligence agency to process a crime scene. The results will take several weeks to come back. 
Urgent Forensic Team (••••): As a forensic team, but your job is top priority. Processing the scene takes six hours, and you will have results in one to two days. Imaging Chaoscopes and chaoscope records can only be requisitioned by agents with Rank in the NSA.
Thermal-Imaging Goggles (•): Useful in low-light situations. Thermal-imaging goggles can also detect vampires by their lack of body heat. 
Phased Motion Detector (••): This compact, handheld unit detects minute disturbances in the air and, through the collection of this and other data, works to sense movement within 50 feet/100 meters. Contacts are displayed as blips on the screen, with a beep that increases in volume as the contact gets closer. When used on a vampire under Obfuscate, this device aids the hunters by letting them make Seeing the Unseen rolls (V20, p. 142) as if they had one dot of Auspex. 
Chaoscope Records (••): You can requisition records from one of the NSA teams monitoring a chaoscope in a major facility. 
Portable Chaoscope (•••••): Access to one of two van-mounted chaoscopes; it takes twenty minutes to set up to start scanning and cannot be used on the move. Raids All raids require the cooperation of local law enforcement agencies, and will draw significant attention. 
Apartment Raid (••): A squad of police armed with shotguns, submachine guns, and flash-bang grenades, able to seize an apartment or brownstone. Block Raid (•••): Enough armed police to go through an entire apartment block or pacify a large-scale riot. 
Compound Raid (•••••): Armed FBI agents supplemented with heavily-armed police or National Guard personnel, enough to end and armed stand-off with a breakaway sect. Records Access to specific records; requests usually come back within 24 hours. 
Confidential Files (••): Agency mission files, and the like. 
Secret Files (•••): Classified agency information, and similar documents. 
Top Secret Files (••••): Reports of clandestine foreign operations, assassinations of American citizens, etc. 
Military/Other Agency Files (•••••): Restricted information from the Pentagon, or from other agencies. Will require justification to the other agency. 
Surveillance Phone Tap (••): A junior agent, monitoring the activity on a single phone line or cellphone and reporting suspicious activity. 
GPS Tracker (••): A device about the size of a box of matches, attaches to a vehicle to allow agents to trace it. Onboard battery is good for a week’s monitoring. 
Laser Microphone (•••): Bounces a laser beam off a nearby flat surface to listen in on distant conversations Weaponry For more details on specific weapons, see V20 pp. 280-281. 
Heavy Pistol (0): All agents have a standard-issue sidearm and two magazines of ammunition. Shotgun (•): A common weapon for dangerous operations Taser (•): An electric stun-gun. Make a normal Firearms attack, on a success, the victim is knocked out for (10 - Stamina) minutes. Has no effect on vampires. 
Fang Rippers (•): A set of specially-modified dental pliers to use on vampire fangs. Each fang forcibly removed from the vampire causes an aggravated wound, and vampires are under the effects of the Dulled Bite Flaw (V20, p. 481) until the wounds are healed. 
Spike-thrower (••): A specially modified shotgun that fires a wooden stake, inspired by a Hungarian design used in the 1956 uprising. Damage 3, Range 15, Rate 1, Capacity 1, Concealment N. 
Sub-Machine Gun (•••): A large sub-machine gun. Requisition may be denied if the agent cannot justify its use. 
Heavy Weapon (•••••): A tripod-mounted heavy machine gun, anti-materiel rifle, or rocket launcher. Only for covert combat missions. Never for use in public areas. Agent must justify pressing need when requesting, and must account for every round spent in triplicate. 

Relics and Artifacts Hunter's Hunted 2 Pg 157 - 8

Relics and artifacts can be acquired using the Reliquary and Artifact Backgrounds (see pp. 122 and 140). Dots can be spent between items, so that three dots of Reliquary can be used to get a one-dot relic and a two-dot relic. These are just a small selection of possible relics and artifacts.

Eye of the Hour-Glass (•) A pair of old 19th century glasses that allow the wearer to see Kindred using high levels of Celerity as normal. It doesn’t grant the wearer any faster reflexes to counter the vampire, but it does allow him to be aware and unsurprised of the Celerity user’s actions. 
Mentat Stones (•) A number of these unusual stones exist, each tuned to assist Psychic Numina in one of two different ways. The first kind of stone allows the user to better focus her abilities, lowering the difficulty of Psychic Numina rolls by 1. The other interferes with psychic activity, and acts as if the holder has one dot of Anti-Psi (see p. 135). 
Ring of Chrysostom (•) A silver band with a cross roughly engraved in it, this ring is believed to have been worn by St. John Chrysostom. Wearing this ring provides the wielder with the effects of True Faith • (see pp. 83-85), and acts as a holy symbol for Christian faiths. 
Franciscan Aspergillum (••) This aspergillum (a device used to sprinkle holy water) has a splinter of bone from Saint Francis worked into the handle. Using it to sprinkle holy water across a room creates an aura of tranquility, calming vampiric frenzy and other states of madness for one evening. Bearing this aspergillum provides a bonus dot to those with True Faith. 
The Orb of Ulain (••) A dull red crystal set into a tarnished silver necklace, the Orb allows the wearer to harness Psychic Numina, protecting her from any vampiric Disciplines involving the mind. The Numinist can add her highest Psychic Numina rating to the difficulty of all rolls against her using such Disciplines (maximum difficulty 9). 
Shadow Cloak (••) A black cloak that makes the wearer nearly invisible in darkness or shadow, granting +3 dice to all Stealth rolls. However, cloaks are not a common sight in public, and often draw attention. 
Byzantine Thurible (•••) An ornate censer for incense, this thurible dates back to just after the fall of Constantinople. When used, the smoke from the thurible reduces the barrier between this world and the next, revealing the presence of wraiths. Until the smoke clears (typically about half an hour), the room increases it’s True Faith rating by 1. It can be used as a weapon of Faith, but it is very fragile – a botch will destroy it irrevocably. 
The Griffin’s Ring (•••) A silver earring with intricate carvings of birds and owls along the edge. When worn, it will make a bird’s cry in the ear of the hunter when she is in the presence of a Kindred (about 10 feet/3 meters). 
The Martyr’s Fire (•••) A small, simple lantern forged from the ashes of the bones of martyrs. Those within the radius of light given off by the lantern (about 25 feet/8 meters) will vividly recall the suffering the martyrs and be inspired by them. As a result, they will not suffer dice penalties from wounds, although they can still be damaged as normal. 
The Eunuch’s Scapular (••••) This scapular – a large length of cloth covering the front and back of the wearer – is believed to have been worn by a devout Cypriot saint who castrated himself in order to resist the temptations of the flesh. Wearing (or carrying) this scapular will render the bearer immune to all Presence powers, or similar Disciplines of emotional control. Being in extended contact with the scapular can render male bearers impotent for long periods of time. 
The Garou’s Claw (••••) A dagger carved from the claw of a Lupine, this weapon causes aggravated damage to Kindred. Further, during the light of a full moon, the wielder of the dagger will automatically know the location of all Kindred that stand within 10 feet/3 meters of her. Of course, werewolves will constantly seek out the owner of the dagger to take it back, but that may be a small price to pay. 
Silver Chalice (•••) A few plain silver Chalices have appeared over the years. While not the Holy Grail that many believed them to be, they are still powerful objects. When drinking pure water from a Chalice on any holy ground, all damage or all kinds are immediately healed. Once used in this way, the healing properties do not work again until the next full moon. 
The Crusader’s Sword (•••••) Over the centuries, a number of swords have become relics in service to those who hunt monsters. Holding the reversed hilt aloft counts as a holy symbol (for those that revere the cross of Christianity), and rolls for True Faith add one die against the supernatural. The sword also causes aggravated wounds to supernatural targets. Finally, while in contact with the sword, the wielder gains the Merit Iron Will if she doesn’t already possess it (V20, p. 485). Mechanics for swords can be found in V20, p. 280 – these larger broadswords cause Strength +5 damage and have a conceal rating of N. 
Dagger of Thorns (•••••) Believed to be forged with a thorn from Christ’s Crown of Thorns, this dagger was discovered in a Syrian church in the 6th century. This dagger gives the wielder a bonus dot of True Faith, even if they have no True Faith to begin with. It also does aggravated damage (dagger stats can be found in V20, p. 280). Finally, vampires stabbed with the weapon start to bleed from the eyes, ears, and mouth – each successful strike (even if it doesn’t do damage) causes the target vampire to lose one blood point. 
The Keys of Leopold (•••••) Three splinters of bone, believed to belong to Leopold of Murnau, were worked into a set of heavy jailer’s keys kept on a thick iron ring. When the holder touches the keys to a supernatural creature, he makes a Wits + Conscience roll (the difficulty is the target’s permanent Willpower). Each success is one turn in which the target creature is completely immobile and drain 1 Willpower point. The keys must remain together to work.

Allies: Allies are people who support and help you — family, friends, or even organizations that owes you some loyalty. Although allies aid you willingly, without coaxing or coercion, they are not always available to offer assistance; they have their own concerns and can do only so much for the sake of your relationship. However, they might have some useful Background Traits of their own, and could provide you with indirect access to their contacts, influence, or resources. Allies are typically persons of influence and power in your home city. They can be of almost any sort, depending on what your Storyteller will allow. You may have friends in the precinct morgue, at a prominent blog, among the high society of local celebrities, or at a construction site. Your Allies might be a clan of nomads who move their mobile home camp around the area, or they might be a family of generations of police officers. You may even count the mayor himself among your friends, depending on how many dots you spend on this Trait. Your Allies are generally trustworthy (though they probably don’t know that you’re supernatural if you are, or even that the supernatural exists). However, nothing comes for free. If you wind up drawing favors from your friend in the Cosa Nostra, he’ll probably ask you to do him a favor in kind in the future. This often leads to the beginning of a story...

Allies may be pooled among a coterie/pack/cabal/crew of characters.
• One ally of moderate influence and power
•• Two allies, both of moderate power
••• Three allies, one of whom is quite influential
•••• Four allies, one of whom is very influential
••••• Five allies, one of whom is extremely influential
Source: V20 Pg 111.

Alternate Identity: Alternate Identity You maintain an alternate identity, complete with papers, birth certificates, or any other documentation you desire. Only a few may know your real name or identity. Your alternate ersona may be highly involved in organized crime, a member of the opposite Sect, a con artist who uses alternate identities for her game, or you may simply gather information about the enemy. Indeed, some may know you as one individual while others believe you to be someone else entirely.
• You are new at this identity game. Sometimes you slip and forget your other persona..
•• You are well grounded in your alternate identity. You are convincing enough to play the part of a doctor, lawyer, funeral salesman, drug-smuggler, or a capable spy..
••• You have a fair reputation as your alternate persona and get name recognition in the area where you have infiltrated..
•••• Your alternate identity has respect and trust within your area of infiltration..
••••• You command respect in your area of infiltration, and you may even have accumulated a bit of influence. You have the trust (or at least the recognition) of many powerful individuals within your area..
Source: V20 Pg 111.

Base of Operations

A base of operations is a secure location controlled and owned by your hunter. This place is a headquarters in which your hunter can rest, train, and plan his next attacks. A hunter’s base could be as simple as an unfurnished apartment, as grand as a senator’s mansion, or as complex as a military base. Players who elect to purchase this Background must divide their points among three different categories, described below. Also, the purchase of this Background may be pooled as per the Background pooling systems on pages 118-119 of V20.

Luxury

Luxury is a measure of the quality of appointments inside the base. The level of Luxury ranges from spare to opulent, corresponding closely to a Resources Background of equal value (see pp. 115-116 of V20).

• You bought your furniture at a thrift store or other low-cost vendor.
•• Your base has been decorated and outfitted modestly. You have the basics expected of modern First World lifestyles (where appropriate). 
••• Your base is one of relative comfort, with a host of amenities.
•••• Your base offers a luxurious respite from the horrible reality of killing vampires, and it is unique in both design and appearance. ••••• Your base exhibits a degree of ostentation that only the extremely wealthy or celebrities usually enjoy. 

Size represents the volume of the base of operations and the amount of space that it comprises. While the following breakdown gives suggested sizes and room counts, players are encouraged to be creative if they so wish — imagine an open temple layout of no true “rooms,” or a converted service hallway that’s long and narrow but has multiple access points to various locations inside the city center.

• A small apartment or underground chamber: 1 to 2 rooms. 
•• A large apartment or small family home; 3 to 4 rooms. 
••• A warehouse, church, or large home; 5 to 8 rooms, or a large enclosure. 
•••• A mansion or network of tunnels; 9-15 rooms or chambers. 
••••• A sprawling estate or vast network of subway tunnels; 20+ rooms. 

Security represents how tough it is to break into the base. Each dot of Security adds one to the difficulty of any roll made to penetrate the base or adds one to the number of successes required to gain access. (Players and Storytellers should agree on this function before the story begins.)

• You have locks on the doors to the base, but not much else.
•• The doors have deadbolts, and the windows have strong bars, or you may have a dog that barks to warn you when someone comes too close to the base. Your HQ is relatively secure from ordinary threats.
••• The base is secure but not impenetrable, relying on a modern set of locks, physical protection such as bars over the windows, electronic security measures such as alarm systems, and standard electronic monitoring such as security cameras.
•••• Your base is protected by all of the security features for the previous level and then some. On par with restricted governmental buildings or even prisons, your base of operations has reinforced walls, sectionalized access throttles, and perhaps even several panic rooms or hidden chambers. You have invested a considerable about of time and effort to keep people out of your base.
••••• Your base is protected by all of the security features offered by the previous levels. Additionally, it is protected by one or more unique features, such as a remote location, a geographical boundary like a waterfall or mountain pass, and/or possible occult protections, like being visible only by moonlight. (Players and Storytellers should come to an agreement on the nature of such daunting and one-of-a-kind protections.)

Hunter's Hunted 2: 38-9.

Backgrounds: Hunter's Hunted Pg 134

Rank 

Government agencies enforce strict rank privilege — a private in the Army can’t get a captain to listen to him, let alone give orders to his superior officers. This Background represents an agent’s position in the chain of command. An agent with no dots of Rank is the lowest grade appropriate for the organization: a junior agent in the SAD or CIA, or a lieutenant 2nd class in the NSA. Though the character with the highest Rank will technically be in charge of other agents, extenuating circumstances in the field can screw up the chain of command. When dealing with people in the same agency of lower Rank, apply the difference in Rank as a bonus to any Social dice pools. When dealing with people outside of the character’s agency, treat her Rank as two dots lower. 
• A special agent in SAD or a lieutenant 1st class in the NSA.
•• A senior special agent in SAD or a captain in the NSA. 
••• A special agent in charge in SAD or a major in the NSA. 
•••• A section chief in SAD or a colonel in the NSA. 
••••• A regional director in SAD or a general in the NSA. 

Requisition 

You’re a master of red tape, able to fill out the right forms to get your hands on some special equipment, from silver bullets to a chaoscope. You begin each story with a pool of points to spend on equipment equal to your dots in this Background. Once the equipment is used up or destroyed, that’s it — and any surviving requisitioned equipment must be returned at the end of the story. You can save your Requisition points until you need a specific item or service, but cannot acquire a single item that costs more than (your Rank + 2). Some examples of equipment that can be requisitioned is on pp. 155-157. Players may opt to pool Background points for a shared stock of equipment. See pp. 118-119 of V20 for more information on pooled Backgrounds.
• You possess a piece of equipment worth one Requisition point.
•• You possess one item worth two Requisition points, or two items with one Requisition point.
••• You possess one or more items worth a total of three Requisition points.
•••• You possess one or more items worth a total of four Requisition points.
••••• You possess one or more items worth a total of five Requisition points.

Contacts: You know people all over the city. When you start making phone calls around your network, the amount of information you can dig up is impressive. Rather than friends you can rely on to help you, like Allies, Contacts are largely people whom you can bribe, manipulate, or coerce into offering information. You also have a few major Contacts — associates who can give you accurate information in their fields of expertise. You should describe each major contact in some detail before the game begins. In addition to your major contacts, you also have a number of minor contacts spread throughout the city. Your major contact might be in the district attorney’s ffice, while your minor contacts might include beat cops, DMV clerks, club bouncers, or members of an online social network. You don’t need to detail these various “passing acquaintances” before play. Instead, to successfully get in touch with a minor contact, you should roll your Contacts rating (difficulty 7). You can reach one minor contact for each success. Of course, you still have to convince them to give you the information you need, assuming they can get it. Contacts may be pooled within the characters’ coterie/pack/cabal/crew.
• One major contact
•• Two major contacts
••• Three major contacts
•••• Four major contacts
••••• Five major contacts
Source: V20 Pg 112.

Guide

Due to fate, destiny, or whim, a mysterious spiritual entity has chosen to aid your hunter in her quest to stalk vampires. Such guides rarely appear in the open, instead preferring to push their agenda via dreams, signs, and portents. One might appear as a ghost in a mirror. Another might reveal itself in an ages-old portrait of a long-dead family member, who offers advice or shudder-inducing environmental effects, such as a room forever shrouded in conscious shadow. Generally, such entities are very interested in the welfare (or at least foibles) of mortals but possess hidden motives to encourage certain types of behavior in their companions. Crafty, knowledgeable in magical concerns, and possessed of inhuman senses, these beings have much to offer their patrons. They aren’t necessarily ghosts or spirits, but may well be among the less classifiable anomalies of the World of Darkness. Nothing is free, of course, and this relationship is likely a two-way street. Guides may expect special treatment, including food, shelter, companionship, and/or even mysterious supernatural necessities. Perhaps even blood…. If you seek to invest in the Guide Background, you should cooperate with the Storyteller to create an interesting, unique personality that has good reason to share your character’s fate and influence her behavior. • Weak Guide: An entity with limited occult knowledge that can only affect the world with great difficulty. It is not always reliably available and may occasionally provide incorrect information. •• Minor Guide: This entity knows a good deal about the occult and vampires, but it finds affecting the material world difficult and thus will only do it when it suits its goals. Your guide will help you, but is fairly limited in what it can do, especially in regards to being able to manipulate physical objects. ••• Apt Guide: A guide of this strength may well be a recognized entity in the spirit world. She will aid you with knowledge and training, and when appropriate, she may fight on your behalf, potentially wielding minor Numina for you (see Chapter Four). •••• Strong Guide: Your guide is quite powerful, potentially a significant personage in the realms of spirits or the dead. This entity has major experience with the occult, and it is aware of the ins and outs of the vampire world. It is willing to assist you with major Numina once per story (see Chapter Four). ••••• Puissant Guide: This entity can walk between the spirit and material worlds with two major Numina powers. It may assist you if it feels appropriate, but it may well demand favors or obeisance in return.

Hunter's Hunted 2: Pg 39-40.

Requisitions Hunter's Hunted 2 Pg 155-6

Each of these items has a Requisition cost; this is the amount that a character must spend from her Requisition Background to acquire the item. Storytellers may allow some hunters to use the Armory Background instead.

Ammo 

Armor-Piercing Bullets (•• per box of 24): A box of armor-piercing rounds (ignores 1 level of Armor Rating). 
Military-grade ammo, an intelligence agent who uses armorpiercing ammo must be able to justify using it. 
Silver Bullets (•• per box of 24): A box of silver bullets. Each box is issued for one weapon. 

Armor 

Kevlar Vest (•): Standard issue in armed hostage situations. Armor Rating 3. 
Neck Guard (•): A flexible strip of flesh-colored Kevlar, reinforced with ceramic plates, giving Armor Rating 5 to neck attacks (such as from a vampire’s bite). The wearer’s Perception rolls are at -1 dice due to the difficulty in moving his head from side to side. 
Riot Gear (•••): Full riot control gear, very obviously marked with the agency’s identifier to prevent friendlyfire. Armor Rating 5. Forensics Lab Access (•): You can get access to a forensics lab to run your own tests, including autopsies, ballistics tests, blood, and DNA analysis. You can also use the equipment for non-standard tests. 
Forensic Team (••): You can requisition a team of forensic scientists from a friendly intelligence agency to process a crime scene. The results will take several weeks to come back. 
Urgent Forensic Team (••••): As a forensic team, but your job is top priority. Processing the scene takes six hours, and you will have results in one to two days. Imaging Chaoscopes and chaoscope records can only be requisitioned by agents with Rank in the NSA.
Thermal-Imaging Goggles (•): Useful in low-light situations. Thermal-imaging goggles can also detect vampires by their lack of body heat. 
Phased Motion Detector (••): This compact, handheld unit detects minute disturbances in the air and, through the collection of this and other data, works to sense movement within 50 feet/100 meters. Contacts are displayed as blips on the screen, with a beep that increases in volume as the contact gets closer. When used on a vampire under Obfuscate, this device aids the hunters by letting them make Seeing the Unseen rolls (V20, p. 142) as if they had one dot of Auspex. 
Chaoscope Records (••): You can requisition records from one of the NSA teams monitoring a chaoscope in a major facility. 
Portable Chaoscope (•••••): Access to one of two van-mounted chaoscopes; it takes twenty minutes to set up to start scanning and cannot be used on the move. Raids All raids require the cooperation of local law enforcement agencies, and will draw significant attention. 
Apartment Raid (••): A squad of police armed with shotguns, submachine guns, and flash-bang grenades, able to seize an apartment or brownstone. Block Raid (•••): Enough armed police to go through an entire apartment block or pacify a large-scale riot. 
Compound Raid (•••••): Armed FBI agents supplemented with heavily-armed police or National Guard personnel, enough to end and armed stand-off with a breakaway sect. Records Access to specific records; requests usually come back within 24 hours. 
Confidential Files (••): Agency mission files, and the like. 
Secret Files (•••): Classified agency information, and similar documents. 
Top Secret Files (••••): Reports of clandestine foreign operations, assassinations of American citizens, etc. 
Military/Other Agency Files (•••••): Restricted information from the Pentagon, or from other agencies. Will require justification to the other agency. 
Surveillance Phone Tap (••): A junior agent, monitoring the activity on a single phone line or cellphone and reporting suspicious activity. 
GPS Tracker (••): A device about the size of a box of matches, attaches to a vehicle to allow agents to trace it. Onboard battery is good for a week’s monitoring. 
Laser Microphone (•••): Bounces a laser beam off a nearby flat surface to listen in on distant conversations Weaponry For more details on specific weapons, see V20 pp. 280-281. 
Heavy Pistol (0): All agents have a standard-issue sidearm and two magazines of ammunition. Shotgun (•): A common weapon for dangerous operations Taser (•): An electric stun-gun. Make a normal Firearms attack, on a success, the victim is knocked out for (10 - Stamina) minutes. Has no effect on vampires. 
Fang Rippers (•): A set of specially-modified dental pliers to use on vampire fangs. Each fang forcibly removed from the vampire causes an aggravated wound, and vampires are under the effects of the Dulled Bite Flaw (V20, p. 481) until the wounds are healed. 
Spike-thrower (••): A specially modified shotgun that fires a wooden stake, inspired by a Hungarian design used in the 1956 uprising. Damage 3, Range 15, Rate 1, Capacity 1, Concealment N. 
Sub-Machine Gun (•••): A large sub-machine gun. Requisition may be denied if the agent cannot justify its use. 
Heavy Weapon (•••••): A tripod-mounted heavy machine gun, anti-materiel rifle, or rocket launcher. Only for covert combat missions. Never for use in public areas. Agent must justify pressing need when requesting, and must account for every round spent in triplicate. 

Relics and Artifacts Hunter's Hunted 2 Pg 157 - 8

Relics and artifacts can be acquired using the Reliquary and Artifact Backgrounds (see pp. 122 and 140). Dots can be spent between items, so that three dots of Reliquary can be used to get a one-dot relic and a two-dot relic. These are just a small selection of possible relics and artifacts.

Eye of the Hour-Glass (•) A pair of old 19th century glasses that allow the wearer to see Kindred using high levels of Celerity as normal. It doesn’t grant the wearer any faster reflexes to counter the vampire, but it does allow him to be aware and unsurprised of the Celerity user’s actions. 
Mentat Stones (•) A number of these unusual stones exist, each tuned to assist Psychic Numina in one of two different ways. The first kind of stone allows the user to better focus her abilities, lowering the difficulty of Psychic Numina rolls by 1. The other interferes with psychic activity, and acts as if the holder has one dot of Anti-Psi (see p. 135). 
Ring of Chrysostom (•) A silver band with a cross roughly engraved in it, this ring is believed to have been worn by St. John Chrysostom. Wearing this ring provides the wielder with the effects of True Faith • (see pp. 83-85), and acts as a holy symbol for Christian faiths. 
Franciscan Aspergillum (••) This aspergillum (a device used to sprinkle holy water) has a splinter of bone from Saint Francis worked into the handle. Using it to sprinkle holy water across a room creates an aura of tranquility, calming vampiric frenzy and other states of madness for one evening. Bearing this aspergillum provides a bonus dot to those with True Faith. 
The Orb of Ulain (••) A dull red crystal set into a tarnished silver necklace, the Orb allows the wearer to harness Psychic Numina, protecting her from any vampiric Disciplines involving the mind. The Numinist can add her highest Psychic Numina rating to the difficulty of all rolls against her using such Disciplines (maximum difficulty 9). 
Shadow Cloak (••) A black cloak that makes the wearer nearly invisible in darkness or shadow, granting +3 dice to all Stealth rolls. However, cloaks are not a common sight in public, and often draw attention. 
Byzantine Thurible (•••) An ornate censer for incense, this thurible dates back to just after the fall of Constantinople. When used, the smoke from the thurible reduces the barrier between this world and the next, revealing the presence of wraiths. Until the smoke clears (typically about half an hour), the room increases it’s True Faith rating by 1. It can be used as a weapon of Faith, but it is very fragile – a botch will destroy it irrevocably. 
The Griffin’s Ring (•••) A silver earring with intricate carvings of birds and owls along the edge. When worn, it will make a bird’s cry in the ear of the hunter when she is in the presence of a Kindred (about 10 feet/3 meters). 
The Martyr’s Fire (•••) A small, simple lantern forged from the ashes of the bones of martyrs. Those within the radius of light given off by the lantern (about 25 feet/8 meters) will vividly recall the suffering the martyrs and be inspired by them. As a result, they will not suffer dice penalties from wounds, although they can still be damaged as normal. 
The Eunuch’s Scapular (••••) This scapular – a large length of cloth covering the front and back of the wearer – is believed to have been worn by a devout Cypriot saint who castrated himself in order to resist the temptations of the flesh. Wearing (or carrying) this scapular will render the bearer immune to all Presence powers, or similar Disciplines of emotional control. Being in extended contact with the scapular can render male bearers impotent for long periods of time. 
The Garou’s Claw (••••) A dagger carved from the claw of a Lupine, this weapon causes aggravated damage to Kindred. Further, during the light of a full moon, the wielder of the dagger will automatically know the location of all Kindred that stand within 10 feet/3 meters of her. Of course, werewolves will constantly seek out the owner of the dagger to take it back, but that may be a small price to pay. 
Silver Chalice (•••) A few plain silver Chalices have appeared over the years. While not the Holy Grail that many believed them to be, they are still powerful objects. When drinking pure water from a Chalice on any holy ground, all damage or all kinds are immediately healed. Once used in this way, the healing properties do not work again until the next full moon. 
The Crusader’s Sword (•••••) Over the centuries, a number of swords have become relics in service to those who hunt monsters. Holding the reversed hilt aloft counts as a holy symbol (for those that revere the cross of Christianity), and rolls for True Faith add one die against the supernatural. The sword also causes aggravated wounds to supernatural targets. Finally, while in contact with the sword, the wielder gains the Merit Iron Will if she doesn’t already possess it (V20, p. 485). Mechanics for swords can be found in V20, p. 280 – these larger broadswords cause Strength +5 damage and have a conceal rating of N. 
Dagger of Thorns (•••••) Believed to be forged with a thorn from Christ’s Crown of Thorns, this dagger was discovered in a Syrian church in the 6th century. This dagger gives the wielder a bonus dot of True Faith, even if they have no True Faith to begin with. It also does aggravated damage (dagger stats can be found in V20, p. 280). Finally, vampires stabbed with the weapon start to bleed from the eyes, ears, and mouth – each successful strike (even if it doesn’t do damage) causes the target vampire to lose one blood point. 
The Keys of Leopold (•••••) Three splinters of bone, believed to belong to Leopold of Murnau, were worked into a set of heavy jailer’s keys kept on a thick iron ring. When the holder touches the keys to a supernatural creature, he makes a Wits + Conscience roll (the difficulty is the target’s permanent Willpower). Each success is one turn in which the target creature is completely immobile and drain 1 Willpower point. The keys must remain together to work.

Fame: You enjoy widespread recognition in mortal society, perhaps as an entertainer, writer, or athlete. People may enjoy just being seen with you. This gives you all manner of privileges when moving in mortal society, but can also attract an unwanted amount of attention now that you’re no longer alive. The greatest weapon fame has to offer is the ability to sway public opinion — as modern media constantly proves. Fame isn’t always tied to entertainment: A heinous criminal in a high-profile trial probably has a certain amount of fame, as do a lawmaker and a scientist who has made a popularized discovery. This Background is obviously a mixed blessing. You can certainly enjoy the privileges of your prestige — getting the best seats, being invited to events you’d otherwise miss, getting appointments with the elite — but you’re sometimes recognized when you’d rather not be. However, your enemies can’t just make you disappear without causing an undue stir, and you find it much easier to hunt in populated areas as people flock to you (reduce the difficulties of hunting rolls by one for each dot in Fame). Additionally, your Storyteller might permit you to reduce difficulties of certain Social rolls against particularly star-struck or impressionable people.
• You’re known to a select subculture — local club-goers, industry bloggers, or the Park Avenue set, for instance.
•• Random people start to recognize your face; you’re a minor celebrity such as a small-time criminal or a local news anchor.
••• You have greater renown; perhaps you’re a senator or an entertainer who regularly gets hundreds of thousands of YouTube hits.
•••• A full-blown celebrity; your name is often recognized by the average person on the street.
••••• You’re a household word. People name their children after you.
Source: V20 Pg 114.

Influence: You have pull in the mortal community, whether through wealth, prestige, political office, blackmail, or supernatural manipulation. Kindred with high Influence can sway, and in rare cases even control, the political and social processes of human society. Influence represents the sum of your opinion- or policy-swaying power in your community, particularly among the police and bureaucracy. In some cases, cultivating Influence is a path to generating Resources (see below). Some rolls may require you to use Influence in place of an Ability, particularly when attempting to sway minor bureaucrats. It’s easier to institute sweeping changes on a local level than a worldwide scale (e.g., having an “abandoned” building demolished is relatively easy, while starting a war is a bit more difficult). Influence can be used with pooled Background points.
• Moderately influential; a factor in city politics
•• Well-connected; a force in state politics
••• Position of influence; a factor in regional politics
•••• Broad personal power; a force in national politics
••••• Vastly influential; a factor in global politics
Source: V20 Pg 114-5.

Mentor: This Trait represents a Kindred or group of Kindred who looks out for you, offering guidance or aid once in a while. A mentor may be powerful, but his power need not be direct. Depending on the number of dots in this Background, your mentor might be nothing more than a vampire with a remarkable information network, or might be a centuries-old creature with tremendous influence and supernatural power. He may offer advice, speak to the Prince or Archbishop on your behalf, steer other elders clear of you, or warn you when you’re walking into situations you don’t understand. Most often your mentor is your sire, but it could well be any Cainite with an interest in your wellbeing. A high Mentor rating could even represent a group of like-minded vampires, such as the elders of the city’s Tremere chantry or a Black Hand cell. Bear in mind that this Trait isn’t a “Get out of Jail Free” card. Your mentor won’t necessarily arrive like the cavalry whenever you’re endangered (and if she does, you’re likely to lose a dot or more in this Background after rousing her ire). What’s more, she might occasionally expect something in return for her patronage, which can lead to a number of interesting stories. A mentor typically remains aloof, giving you useful information or advice out of camaraderie, but will abandon you without a thought if you prove an unworthy or troublesome protégé.
• Mentor is an ancilla of little influence, or a Ductus or Pack Priest.
•• Mentor is respected: an elder or highly-decorated veteran, for instance.
••• Mentor is heavily influential, such as a member of the Primogen or a Bishop.
•••• Mentor has a great deal of power over the city: a Prince or Archbishop, for example.
••••• Mentor is extraordinarily powerful, perhaps even a Justicar or Cardinal.
Source: V20 Pg 115

Resources: Resources are valuable goods whose disposition your character controls. These assets may be actual cash, but as this Background increases, they’re more likely to be investments, property, or earning capital of some sort — land, industrial assets, stocks and bonds, commercial inventories, criminal infrastructure, contraband, even taxes or tithes. Remember that vampires don’t need to arrange for any food except blood and their actual needs (as opposed to wants) for shelter are very easily accommodated. Resources for vampires go mostly to pay for luxuries and the associated expenses of developing and maintaining Status, Influence, and other Backgrounds. A character with no dots in Resources may have enough clothing and supplies to get by, or she may be destitute and squatting in a refrigerator box under an overpass. You receive a basic allowance each month based on your rating, so be certain to detail exactly where this money comes from, be it a job, trust fund or dividends. (Storytellers, decide for your locality and any relevant time period what an appropriate amount of cash this monthly allowance is.) After all, a Kindred’s fortune may well run out over the course of the chronicle, depending on how well he maintains it. You can also sell your less liquid resources if you need the cash, but this can take weeks or even months, depending on what exactly you’re trying to sell. Art buyers don’t just pop out of the woodwork, after all. Players may purchase Resources for their characters with pooled Background points
• Sufficient. You can maintain a typical residence in the style of the working class with stability, even if spending sprees come seldom.
•• Moderate. You can display yourself as a member in good standing of the middle class, with the occasional gift and indulgence seemly for a person of even higher station. You can maintain a servant or hire specific help as necessary. A fraction of your resources are available in cash, readily portable property (like jewelry or furniture), and other valuables (such as a car or modest home) that let you maintain a standard of living at the one-dot level wherever you happen to be, for up to six months.
••• Comfortable. You are a prominent and established member of your community, with land and an owned dwelling, and you have a reputation that lets you draw on credit at very generous terms. You likely have more tied up in equity and property than you do in ready cash. You can maintain a one-dot quality of existence wherever you are without difficulty, for as long as you choose.
•••• Wealthy. You rarely touch cash, as most of your assets exist in tangible forms that are themselves more valuable and stable than paper money. You hold more wealth than many of your local peers (if they can be called such a thing). When earning your Resources doesn’t enjoy your usual degree of attention, you can maintain a three-dot existence for up to a year, and a twodot existence indefinitely.
••••• Extremely Wealthy. You are the model to which others strive to achieve, at least in the popular mind. Television shows, magazine spreads, and gossip websites speculate about your clothing, the appointments of your numerous homes, and the luxury of your modes of transportation. You have vast and widely distributed assets, perhaps tied to the fates of nations, each with huge staffs and connections to every level of society through a region. You travel with a minimum of three-dot comforts, more with a little effort. Corporations and governments sometimes come to you to buy into stocks or bond programs.
Source: V20 Pg 115-6

Retainers: Not precisely Allies or Contacts, your retainers are servants, assistants, or other people who are your loyal and steadfast companions. Many vampires’ servants are ghouls (p. 496) — their supernatural powers and blood bond-enforced loyalty make them the servants of choice. Retainers may also be people whom you’ve repeatedly Dominated until they have no free will left, or followers so enthralled with your Presence that their loyalty borders on blind fanaticism. Some vampires, particularly those with the Animalism Discipline, use animal ghouls as retainers. You must maintain some control over your retainers, whether through a salary, the gift of your vitae, or the use of Disciplines. Retainers are never “blindly loyal no matter what” — if you treat them poorly without exercising strict control, they might well turn on you. Retainers may be useful, but they should never be flawless. A physically powerful ghoul might be rebellious, inconveniently dull-witted, or lacking in practical skills. A loyal manservant might be physically weak or possess no real personal initiative or creativity. This Background isn’t an excuse to craft an unstoppable bodyguard or pet assassin — it’s a method to bring more fully-developed characters into the chronicle, as well as to reflect the followers for which the Kindred are notorious. Generally, retainers are more like Renfield than Anita Blake. (If the player and Storyteller agree, a player may create a more competent single Retainer by combining more points in this Background, putting more eggs in one basket, as the saying goes.) Players can spend pooled Background points on Retainers.
• One retainer
•• Two retainers
••• Three retainers
•••• Four retainers
••••• Five retainers
Source: V20 Pg 116

Status: You have something of a reputation and standing (earned or unearned) within the local community of Kindred. Status among Camarilla society is as often derived from your sire’s status and the respect due your particular bloodline as it is by personal achievement. Among the Sabbat, status is more likely to stem from the reputation of your pack or the zeal of your outlook. Elders are known for having little respect for their juniors; this Background can mitigate that somewhat. High status within the Camarilla does not transfer to Sabbat society (and will most likely make you a notorious target for your Sect’s rivals), and vice versa. Similarly, Autarkis generally have zero Status, unless they have somehow garnered so much power and attention that they are considered forces to be reckoned with. You may have occasion to roll your Status in conjunction with a Social Trait; this reflects the positive effects of your prestige. Note that Caitiff characters may not purchase Status during character creation. Caitiff are the lowest of the low, and any respect they achieve must be earned during the course of the chronicle.
• Known: a neonate/Pack Priest
•• Respected: an ancilla/respected Ductus
••• Influential: an elder/Templar
•••• Powerful: a member of the Primogen/a Bishop
••••• Luminary: a Prince/Archbishop
Source: V20 Pg 118.

Anarch Information Exchange: RESTRICTED Anarchs Only Anarchs have significantly improved their coordination and information sharing through the use of computers and social networking, leading to a sophisticated network known as the Information Exchange. This network enables Anarchs to gather intelligence about specific vampires, local secrets, domain politics, and rumors about other sects with a global reach. Characters with this Background can ask questions to the Exchange, with the Storyteller determining the amount and quality of information provided. While the network can provide extensive knowledge, especially about prominent figures like Princes, some rare or sensitive information may require negotiation or additional effort to obtain, reflecting the principle that valuable information often comes at a cost.

Types of information that can be found via the Anarch Information Exchange include:
• General information or rumors about a Kindred, such as contact information, general age, known clan and notable lineage, how long said Kindred has dwelled in a city, political affiliations, general reputation, and generation (or a general estimate, such as neonate, ancilla, or elder).
• Information about specific topics, such as basic and brief overviews on a subject relating to Kindred (What is Thaumaturgy? Who are the Setites? What happens when you diablerize? What does a black crescent moon mean?) or personal characteristics of certain Kindred (Why does Prince Vaclav hate the color yellow?).
• Significant status or events in sect politics (What’s happening with the Movement in a Naples? What is the Sabbat interest in Sao Paolo? Who has the Prince of Chicago placed under blood hunt?)
Lore of the Clans: Nosferatu note - Buying and Selling Information It’s hard to give an abstract system for information. Secrets are each unique and special, and such things often lend themselves better to plot and story rather than dots and dice. As such, we don’t offer a specific system for selling and knowing secrets. However, the Storyteller may wish to allow Nosferatu a background similar to Anarch Information Exchange (Anarchs Unbound p. 98) to represent their network and control of the city’s information.
Source: Anarchs Unbound for V20 Pg 98. Lore of the Clans Pg 162.

Anarch Status: RESTRICTED Anarchs Only You have a reputation within the local community of Anarchs. Status among the Anarchs reflects memorable deeds and general popularity. Despite the intention of the Status Perfectus and other early Anarch manifestos, a hierarchy of who’s calling the shots has emerged in many Anarch domains, representing a maturing of the sect’s ideals (or a betrayal of them, depending on which Anarchs you’re speaking to). You may have occasion to roll your Status in conjunction with a Social Trait; this reflects the positive effects of your prestige.
• Known: You’ve started making a name for yourself. You might be a rising tough working for a gang or this week’s darling hacker, fighting for the cause behind a computer screen.
•• Respected: You’ve become known for being able to hold your own on the streets and in the backrooms where the real decisions are being made.
••• Influential: Anarchs listen to your opinion. You might have led a minor skirmish or exposed some shitbag Ivory Tower lick in a scheme to put more money in his pockets. Perhaps you’re the author of a well-received Anarch manifesto, or you call the shots for a respected crew. Whatever the case, there are few in the domain or across a Free State territory who don’t know about you.
•••• Powerful: You have a great deal of influence over your city. You might be a leader of a powerful known crew or one of the few Anarch elders.
••••• Luminary: You are the acknowledged leader of your Anarch domain, or well-placed among them. You might be the Baron (or a backer behind a figurehead Baron).
Source: Anarchs Unbound for V20 Pg 98-9.

Armory: Your character has managed to amass a functional armory along with the ability to maintain all of the weapons within it. Each level of the Armory Background yields access to more potent weapons (along with proper ammunition) and the resources to properly maintain and clean them. The scope of this Background varies a bit by region, as weapons-control laws differ. What an American can buy in a department store, for example, might be the sole domain of the military in Eastern Europe and available only via the black market in Brazil; players who wish to invest dots in Armory should consult with their Storytellers to determine how it will work in the chronicle’s locality. The Storyteller may require you to invest a few points in another Background (such as certain types of Influence or legal or military Allies) to prevent the Armory’s confiscation by the authorities. An Armory can vanish in a fraction of the time it took to amass it, especially if it ends up on the news or video-sharing sites with footage of a VAMPIRE BLOOD GANG MASSACRE down by the warehouses. For more details on specific weapons, including game mechanics, see V20, pp. 280-281. Players may opt to pool Background points for a shared Armory. See pp. 118-119 of V20 for more information on pooled Backgrounds.
• You have an excellent starter armory that includes many legal weapons commonly available on the street, as relevant to your regional culture.
•• You have access to enough legal weaponry to outfit a street gang of 10.
••• You could start your own small militia. In addition, you can outfit five individuals with weaponry that exists in a legal gray area for the region, which most civilians would have a difficult time obtaining.
•••• You have an armory appropriate to a SWAT team in a major city, including some military-grade hardware. You have enough gear to outfit a 10-man team with advanced weaponry, which is a cut above that provided by the lesser levels of this Background. Be careful where you use it, because without other appropriate Backgrounds, you may find yourself under official scrutiny for possessing illegal weaponry.
••••• Your armory is the envy of paramilitary forces around the world. You have the tools to clean and repair almost any personal weapon manufactured in the world. You have access to a significant quantity of weapons that are illegal in most countries, and enough of them to field your own platoon. If this Armory were discovered by authorities, your Anarch would be a pile of greasy ash.
Source: Anarchs Unbound for V20 Pg 99-100. Hunter's Hunted 2: 37-8.

Black Hand Membership: This Background is for Sabbat characters only. You are a member of the feared Black Hand, the body of soldiers and assassins that serves the Sabbat fervently. Having this Background indicates that you are a full-fledged member of the organization, and you have all the responsibilities and benefits that accompany membership. You may call upon members of the Black Hand to aid you, should you ever need it. Of course, this ability is a two-way street, and other Hand members may call upon you to aid them. Thus, you may find yourself assigned to perform assassinations, lend martial aid, or even further the political ends of the Hand as a diplomat or spy. You may also be required to attend crusades that take you away from your pack. All members of the Black Hand must heed the call of another Hand member, especially the superiors of the faction. Being a member of the Black Hand is a prestigious matter, and other members of the Sabbat respect the organization. When dealing with other Sabbat, should you choose to reveal your affiliation with the Hand, you may add your rating in this Background to any Social dice pools, even after Status or other Abilities have been taken into account. Most Hand members, however, choose not to reveal their allegiance. The Black Hand is also remarkably adept at hunting down Sabbat who claim membership in the Sect but do not truly belong — liars, beware.
• You are a grunt; you may call upon one Black Hand member once per story.
•• You are known and respected in the Black Hand; you may call upon two Black Hand members once per story.
••• You are held in the Black Hand’s regard; you may call upon five Black Hand members once per story.
•••• You are a hero among members of the Black Hand; you may call upon seven Black Hand members twice per story (but you’d better have just cause — if it seems you’re becoming soft, you may lose points in this Background). You may also lead large numbers of Hand members into action should it ever become necessary.
••••• You are part of Black Hand legend; you may call upon 12 Black Hand members twice per story (but see the preceding caution). You may also lead large numbers of Hand members into action should it ever become necessary. The Seraphim may even seek your counsel on matters of import.
Source: V20 Pg 111-2.

Communal Haven: Elders, often distrustful and self-interested due to centuries of betrayal, typically avoid sharing havens. In contrast, Anarch packs that value cooperation sometimes establish Communal Havens for shared security and comfort. A Communal Haven is a secure location owned by the coterie, where members can lie low, train, and plan. These havens vary in form, from simple apartments to elaborate military bases, and are governed by social conventions that prevent conflicts among the Kindred. Rules about guest access, behavior, and security are essential to maintain order. This Background differs from Domain and Resources as it specifically refers to the shared haven space rather than territory or wealth. Players investing in this Background must allocate points among 3 categories(Size, Security, Luxury,) and pooling points is allowed under certain systems.
Luxury - Luxury is a measure of the quality of appointments inside the haven. The level of Luxury ranges from spare to opulent, corresponding closely to a Resources Background of equal value (see pp. 115-116 of V20).
• What passes for furniture probably fell off the back of a truck or was liberated from a dumpster.
•• The place has been decorated and outfitted modestly. It has the basics expected of modern First World lifestyles (where appropriate).
••• The haven offers relative comfort, with a host of amenities.
•••• The haven is a luxurious oasis in the midst of the Jyhad, unique in both design and appearance.
••••• Only the extremely wealthy or celebrities usually enjoy the opulence of a place like this.

Size - Size represents the amount of living space in the Communal. While the following breakdown gives suggested sizes and room counts, players are encouraged to be creative if they so wish — imagine an open warehouse layout of no true “rooms,” or a network of “under repair” blacked-out skywalks that have access points to various locations downtown.
• A small apartment or underground chamber: 1 to 2 rooms.
•• A large apartment or small family home; 3 to 4 rooms.
••• A warehouse, church, or large home; 5 to 8 rooms, or a large enclosure.
•••• A mansion or network of tunnels; 9-15 rooms or chambers.
••••• A sprawling estate or vast network of subway tunnels; 20+ rooms.

Security - Security represents how tough it is to breach the haven. Each dot of Security either adds one to the difficulty of any roll made to penetrate the haven or adds one to the number of successes required to gain access. (Players and Storytellers should agree on this function before the story begins.)
• Cheap locks on the doors, but not much else.
•• You’ve reinforced every door and barred the windows, or you may have a dog that barks to warn you when someone comes too close to the haven. The place is relatively secure from commonplace threats.
••• The haven is secure but not impenetrable, relying on a modern set of locks, physical protection such as bars over the windows, electronic security measures such as alarm systems, and standard electronic monitoring such as security cameras. It may be remote or accessed only by protected routes, such as a high-rise with a security guard who watches the elevator.
•••• Your haven is protected by all of the security features for the previous level and then some. On par with restricted governmental buildings or even prisons, your haven has reinforced walls, sectionalized access throttles, and perhaps even several panic rooms or hidden chambers. You have invested a considerable about of time and effort to keep people out of your base.
••••• Your base is protected by all of the security features offered by the previous levels. Additionally, it is protected by one or more unique features, such as being far off the beaten path, incorporating a geographical boundary like being built on an island, and/or possible occult protections, like being visible only to Kindred. (Players and Storytellers should come to an agreement on the nature of such oneof-a-kind protections.)
Source: Anarchs Unbound for V20 Pg 100-101.

Domain: Domain is physical territory (usually within the chronicle’s central city) to which your character controls access for the purpose of feeding. Some Kindred refer to their domain as hunting grounds, and most jealously guard their domains, even invoking the Tradition of the same name to protect their claims. As part of this Background, the character’s claim to the domain is recognized by the Prince or some other Kindred authority in the city where it is located. The Kindred who claims the domain can’t keep the living inhabitants from going about their business, nor does she exercise any direct influence over them, but she can keep watch herself and mind their comings and goings. She can also have Allies or Retainers specifically look for unfamiliar vampires and alert her when they find some. Domain refers specifically to the geography (in most cases a neighborhood or street) and properties on it, as opposed to the people who may dwell there (which is the emphasis of Herd). Domain plays an important part in Kindred society — vampires who lack significant Domain seldom earn respect — but it isn’t an automatic entitlement to status among the Damned. You may designate one or more dots in Domain to increase the security of your character’s territory rather than its size. Each dot so assigned to security provides a +1 difficulty penalty to efforts to intrude into the domain by anyone your character hasn’t specifically allowed in, and a -1 difficulty bonus to efforts by your character to identify and track intruders in the domain. A Domain of one dot’s size and two dots’ security, for instance, is small but quite resistant to intrusion, as opposed to a Domain rating of three dots’ size with no extraordinary security. Each level of Domain reduces the difficulty of hunting checks by one for your character and those whom the character allows in. It also adds to your starting (not maximum) blood pool. If you use the domain security option, each dot of domain security raises the difficulty of hunting checks by one for uninvited vampires. See p. 259 for more information on hunting. Domain (both size and security) can be used with pooled Background points.
• A single small building, such as a single-family home or a social establishment — enough for a basic haven.
•• A church, factory, warehouse, mid-rise, or other large structure — a location with ready but easily controllable access to the outside world.
••• A high-rise, city block, or an important intersection — a location or area that offers areas for concealment as well as controlled access.
•••• A sewer subsection, a network of service tunnels, the enclave of homes on a hill overlooking the city — a place with inherently protective features, such as an isolated mountain road, bridge-only access, or vigilant private security force.
••••• An entire neighborhood, an ethnic subdivision like “Chinatown” or “Little Italy,” or a whole suburb.
As noted previously, characters in a coterie can share their domain resources for better results. Six to eight dots secure all of a small town or a distinct city region as a domain. Ten to 15 dots secure an important but not geographically huge city sector, such as “the docks,” or “Highland Park.” A large city itself might be a hundred-plus Domain points, as with Atlanta, Dallas, Geneva, or Baghdad. A city such as New York, London, Paris, Rome, Sao Paolo, or Shanghai would require many hundreds of Domain points.
Source: V20 Pg 112-3.

Generation: This Background represents your Generation: the purity of your blood, and your proximity to the First Vampire. A high Generation rating may represent a powerful sire or a decidedly dangerous taste for diablerie. If you don’t take any dots in this Trait, you begin play as a Thirteenth Generation vampire. See p. 270 for further information.
• Twelfth Generation: 11 blood pool, can spend 1 blood point per turn
•• Eleventh Generation: 12 blood pool, can spend 1 blood point per turn
••• Tenth Generation: 13 blood pool, can spend 1 blood point per turn
•••• Ninth Generation: 14 blood pool, can spend 2 blood points per turn
••••• Eighth Generation: 15 blood pool, can spend 3 blood points per turn
Source: V20 Pg 114

Herd: You have built a group of mortals from whom you can feed without fear. A herd may take many forms, from circles of kinky clubgoers to actual cults built around you as a god-figure. In addition to providing nourishment, your herd might come in handy for minor tasks, though they are typically not very controllable, closely connected to you, or particularly skilled (for more effective pawns, purchase Allies or Retainers). Your Herd rating adds dice to your rolls for hunting; see p. 259 for further details. Players may purchase pooled Herd with Background points.
• Three vessels
•• Seven vessels
••• 15 vessels
•••• 30 vessels
••••• 60 vessels
Source: V20 Pg 114

Rituals: This Background is for Sabbat characters only. You know the ritae and rituals of the Sabbat, and you can enact many of them. This Background is vital to being a Pack Priest — without this Background, ritae will not function. This Background is actually a supernatural investment, drawing on the magic of the eldest Tzimisce sorcerers. Sabbat vampires who are not their pack‘s priests should have an outstanding reason for acquiring this Background, as Pack Priests are loath to share their secrets with more secular members of the Sect. Some example rituals include the Vaulderie (p. 288), as well as those presented in the Appendix (p. 507).
• You know a few of the auctoritas ritae (your choice).
•• You know some of the auctoritas ritae (your choice) and a few ignoblis ritae (your choice).
••• You know all of the auctoritas ritae and some ignoblis ritae (your choice). Also, you may create your own ignoblis ritae, given enough time (consult your Storyteller for development time and game effects).
•••• You know all the auctoritas ritae and many ignoblis ritae (your choice). You may create your own ignoblis ritae, given enough time (consult your Storyteller for development time and game effects). You are also familiar with the functions of numerous regional and pack-specific ignoblis ritae, even if you cannot perform them.
••••• You know all the auctoritas ritae and dozens of ignoblis ritae (your choice). You may create your own ignoblis ritae, given enough time (consult your Storyteller for development time and game effects). You are also familiar with the functions of almost all regional and pack-specific ignoblis ritae, even if you cannot perform them; if it’s been written down or passed around in lore, you’ve heard of it.
Source: V20 Pg 117

Rites of the Blood Background

Blasphemous Shrine (HIGHLY RESTRICTED)

As discussed above, Lector Priests must have desecrated the corpse of someone buried according to traditional ancient Egyptian practice. These corpses are kept as offerings to Set and are the means by which these sorcerers channel his power into the world. As such, they are usually placed in shrines dedicated to Set and adorned with his iconography. Within this Blasphemous Shrine, the Lector Priest can perform powerful Akhu rituals, amplified by the proximity to the source of their power. The more dots in the background, the greater the connection the desecrated corpse has to Set. Mechanically, this background grants a number of bonus dice to the casting of Akhu rituals equal to the number points in Blasphemous Shrine. However, this only applies to rituals cast in the shrine itself. As an optional rule, a Storyteller may insist that a Lector Priest has to have at least one dot of Blasphemous Shrine to represent the desecrated corpse offering to Set, without which they cannot cast Akhu.
Rites of the Blood Pg 78.

Lore of the Clans Backgrounds

Giovanni Pg 107



Memento de Morte 

Death leaves its mark on the world around it. Cold spots, places where the light seems too pale, the colors washed out and faded. Sometimes, something seeps into the items surrounding a death in such a way that it taints them forever. The fainting couch in a Victorian serial killer’s parlor, or the portrait that hung on the wall of his abattoir, for example. The blackened wood floorboards at uncle Vittorio’s estate, reclaimed from a plague ship lit aflame to cleanse its still-living passengers. Books wrapped in the flesh of the monk who inscribed them, carved from his still living body, and bound by him in his last moments of life. But the most common mementos of death are murder weapons. The scalpels of serial killers and the sabers of war criminals. Bludgeons and .38 Bulldogs, nooses and punchbowls. The more death that has drenched the item, the more power it absorbs. This Background gives you one or more of these mementos of death, allowing you to benefit from the ambient energies when using Necromancy. You must have the relic (or relics) with you to receive the bonus. Many necromancers have a special sanctum set aside for their ritual work for this reason. 



• You have one minor relic. +1 bonus die to Necromancy rolls. 

••  You have a relic of middling power or two minor ones. +2 bonus dice to Necromancy rolls.

•••  You have a few reasonably powerful relics. +3 bonus dice to Necromancy rolls. 

••••  You have a very powerful relic, or a couple of less powerful items. +4 bonus dice to Necromancy rolls. 

•••••  You have an incredibly powerful relic, or a couple of powerful items. +5 bonus dice to Necromancy rolls.



Spirit Slaves 

This trait represents a hold you have over a ghost, or several ghosts. Usually this hold is in the form of catene, or fetters — either something that the ghost valued highly in life, or possibly a random object or place to which the spirito has been attached via a necromantic ritual. Regardless, you have a hold over the spirit and can bully it by threatening its fetter. Alternatively, you might have information about the spirit’s goals and can control it by aiding or impeding it. All Spirit Slaves are assumed to have statistics similar to a recently deceased ghost (V20, p. 385). However, higher levels of this Background might reflect more powerful spirits at the Storyteller’s discretion. 

•  You have a hold on one weak spirito. 

••  You have influence over two minor ghosts, or one of greater power. 

•••  You’re the boss of three lesser ghosts, or fewer who can do more.

••••  Four ghosts are under your sway, or fewer who are stronger. 

•••••  You have mastered five weak ghosts, or fewer who are more talented.

Black Hand Backgrounds

Pg 50



Cult (Also see the Mage Tab)



Cult You are the leader or otherwise have control over a cult of your own. Due to their broad membership, Cults as a Background act as a combination of Allies, Contacts, Herd, and Influence, but when called upon are effectively one dot lower in each of those categories (a rating of 1 is effectively 0) and require twice the effort to build or accumulate. Lastly, members of the Sect have a minimum one dot in True Black Hand Membership, which is mechanically identical to standard Black Hand Membership, though indicative of belonging to the Tal’Mahe’Ra and not Sabbat-specific. The following Backgrounds are restricted or altered for Tal’Mahe’Ra character creation.



Pg 154



 Fount: The strength of the sorcerer’s mystic Self (called a Fount by ancient magi and the Atman by Itarajana) determines the amount of Quintessence she can hold within herself, and how easily she channels it. 

 0 Store 10 Quintessence, spend one per turn. 

 • Store 12 Quintessence, spend two per turn. 

 •• Store 14 Quintessence, spend three per turn. 

 ••• Store 16 Quintessence, spend four per turn. 

 •••• Store 18 Quintessence, spend five per turn. 

 ••••• Store 20 Quintessence, spend six per turn.

 

V20 Dark Ages Companion Backgrounds: Pg 112

Servants

Your character controls a retinue of useful servants. (Your domain might possess servants without this Background, but they do nothing more than keep the place from utterly collapsing, and frequently display disloyalty.) The exact number doesn’t matter; they come and go as estate business demands. Children replace their parents. On the other hand, when your character needs them to perform a specific task or travel, only a limited number can obey, lest the estate fall into disrepair or suffer various calamities. In matters relating to the domain, servants reduce the difficulty of Seneschal and Leadership rolls equal to their dots. Servants need not be limited to a single manor, and might represent ordinary townsfolk, cottagers, and others pledged to the character’s service. Servants are loyal, but not slavishly so, and might disobey their masters if they feel threatened or offended. A Cainite may use servants as vessels for her thirst, but the player must purchase an equal number of dots in the Herd Background to ensure their discretion. Purchasing both Backgrounds together also means servants replace themselves should your character’s attentions cause their deaths, but the most extreme cruelties will never go unanswered. Servants who are not a Herd resist predation, spread rumors, and must be managed accordingly

• You have a few servants to deal with light, routine tasks. They can’t handle emergencies Some of them attend you part time, working elsewhere to support families. You can call three of them together for a trip or dedicated task. •• Your servants can keep a small manor or settlement running smoothly, and even provide comforts for a small number of guests. You can wrangle seven of them to work on some unusual task or travel with you. ••• Your servants manage all aspects of a large manor, and at least one stands on hand to receive your commands. You might gather as many as 15 to travel or work on an unusual project. •••• Your servants could keep a large castle running smoothly. Multiple attendants stand by to anticipate your needs and obey your commands. You can be assured that taking a retinue of 30 on the road wouldn’t bring estate business grinding to a halt. ••••• A veritable legion stands by to ensure your estate functions. They stand in every room, and to get some privacy you’ll have to send them away. You can take a retinue of 60 servants with you.

Types of Servants
Servants don’t have the skills or Backgrounds of full vassals, Allies, and Retainers, but unlike the domain’s Populace, they have the time and inclination to aid characters. They typically possess dice pools of 4 in their primary function, but only 2 or 3 in any other task. They own the minimum equipment needed for their jobs. Even though not all of the following are technically servants, characters might make use of them through the Background. When these characters prove to have exceptional characteristics, they should be reckoned as Retainers instead.

Administrators: Under various titles, one or more stewards serve as an estate’s chief of staff, relaying the lord’s orders. Under them, marshals manage horses and arms, chamberlains account for finances, and wardrobe servants manage clothing and many household purchases. Valets attend nobles, and pages carry messages. In great estates, these positions became honorifics given to other nobles, and eventually they can become military and political positions. Cleaning and Maintenance: The scullery is a washing room that might be used for dishes or clothes, Maids clean and transport them. Large households might have separate facilities and servants for linens and other items. A chandler makes soap and candles.

Cottagers: Poor free farmers usually serve the estate with the bounty of their labors. Much of the time their business ends at the lord’s gate, but they also know much about the land and common people. Laborers might come from cottages to dig ditches and perform other muscle-aching duties, or if necessary, settle close to the estate. Such obligatory labor is known as corvee.

Guards: Settlements choose local toughs to break up fights and protect communities, but night watchmen are often elderly, since the position rarely requires more than good eyes and the ability to cry at the approach of danger.

Hunters: The master of the hunt (called a veneur) oversees hunting, perhaps with the assistance of a falconer.

Kitchen Staff: The chief cook prepares meals in conjunctionwith a host of specialized servants, including a pantler, who keeps bread, and a butler (named for “butts,” or barrels) who manages the estate’s alcohol.

Minor Clergy: An estate’s chaplain technically serves the church, but when a lord provides for him his true loyalty transfers to his benefactor. Clergy often supplement their incomes with agriculture, brewing, and other rural trades, and they may include barber-surgeons who treat illness with a mixture of inaccurate theory and practical experience. This category also includes hermits, sin-eaters, pardoners, and other purported clerics of uncertain lineage and orthodoxy.

Serfs and Slaves: Serfs are obliged to labor for their lord in virtually any capacity required, but they usually work the land. They’re entitled to protection and a portion of the common fields to work for their subsistence. If the lord sells his land, his serfs go with it, to serve a new master. This sets them apart from slaves, who may be bought and sold individually and possess no rights whatsoever. The Church forbids the enslavement of Christians, including converts, but this stricture is occasionally ignored and doesn’t restrict the enslavement of Muslims, as occurs in the Crusader States. In Muslim nations, many slaves possess rights granted by religious and social convention.

Domitor: You are already Bound to a vampire and have been her ghoul for a time. While the influence of the blood bond makes it challenging for you to tell the difference between love, loyalty, and feigned interest, you suspect your master is concerned about your continued well-being and safety. This Background introduces tiers that reflect the power of your domitor, which influences the resources you have access to and the number of Disciplines your ghoul might learn. The more ancient and powerful your master is, the less likely he is to care about your welfare. Conversely, higher Generation vampires might take better care of you, because they are more tied to their humanity than an elder vampire. Thus, the more dots you take in the Domitor Background, the more powerful you can become, but the less cared for you’ll be. Due to the effects of the blood bond, however, you might not realize how your master feels about you — until it is too late.
• Your domitor is Eleventh Generation or higher, and considers you a valued confidant.
•• Your master is Ninth or Tenth Generation, and has a passing fondness for you.
••• Your domitor is Eighth Generation, and will sometimes let you get a word in edgewise.
•••• Your domitor is Seventh Generation, and expects you to do your job — nothing more.
••••• Your master is Sixth Generation, and remarkably has not yet grown sick of the sight of your face.
Source: V20 Ghouls and Revenants Pg 122.

Double Life: Ghouls who navigate the challenging balance between their mortal lives and their servitude to their vampiric masters, or domitors. This dual existence often leads to complications, as maintaining ties to their previous lives can be exhausting and difficult, potentially endangering the Masquerade—a principle that Camarilla domitors typically prioritize. Ghouls with this Background retain connections to their former selves, which can be beneficial for espionage or maintaining appearances, but also pose risks as these ties can be exploited by others. The strength of a ghoul's connection to their former life varies, with those dots in the Background indicating the closeness of these ties. The Background is more commonly associated with Camarilla ghouls rather than those in the Sabbat or independent factions, and it requires players to flesh out their character's pre-ghoul identity, potentially influencing story dynamics and character development. The dots in Double Life reflect how closely-tied you are to your life before you became a ghoul. They do not, however, represent how much other people know about your new role or your connection to vampires.
• Keeping up Appearances: You keep in contact with people you once knew, but you keep yourself distanced from them unless you need to ask someone you know for a favor. You might need to keep up appearances because your master ordered you to, or you might have done so naturally to help keep you sane.
•• Maintaining Friendships: You are part of a group of friends who meets every so often for dinner, coffee, or a movie. You might get together once a month to celebrate a birthday, or you might throw a big dinner party for them to show them how great your new “job” is. While you might not ask them for a favor related to your job, you know you can call on them in an emergency situation.
••• Keeping a Lover: You are in love with another person, and your master has allowed you to maintain this relationship in exchange for your service. You would do anything for each other, and your master knows it, too.
•••• Staying Close to Your Family: Your master has granted you permission to remain a member of your family, and has helped you devise a cover so your activities are not suspicious. In exchange for your service, you may maintain your connection to your family, but you may not be allowed to live with them. While some domitors might use your family as leverage to get them to do their bidding, others want you to feign a sense of normalcy.
••••• Possessing a Mortal Life: Though you’ve become a ghoul, your master has decreed that you may keep your job, your relationships, and your apartment. From an observer’s perspective, you may seem smitten with a new love interest or stressed about your new high-powered job.
Source: V20 Ghouls and Revenants Pg 122-3.

Family Elder: (Revenants) Represents a revenant's role as a leader within their family. This position grants respect, perks, and responsibilities, with the revenant often making important decisions on behalf of the family. Family Elders may broker deals with vampire Clans, Sect members, or other revenant families, and are typically involved in the education and guidance of younger members. While their influence is usually limited to their family, Family Elders play a significant role in internal politics and may be drawn into external rivalries. They often have the authority to assign tasks and distribute rewards, although the ultimate decision-making power rests with the family's Matriarch or Patriarch. The duties and actions of a Family Elder vary based on the family's needs and traditions, and while the title suggests a leadership role, it does not necessarily imply a direct blood connection to those under their care. The Background is specific to revenants and emphasizes the close-knit and insular nature of these families.
• Big Sister/Brother: You keep your younger brothers and sisters in line, and pass along orders from higher-ups. You are the most likely candidate to be sent on errands or missions for the family.
•• Aunt/Uncle: You supervise the Brothers and Sisters, and check in with them from time to time. If your family is attacking or defending itself, or is ordered to carry out a mission, you will be asked to lead your charges.
••• Mother/Father: You are an advisor who passes along advice and guidance to younger family members, and help shape your charges’ futures. You are empowered to intervene in matters pertaining to the health and strength of your family, and while you are aware of missions and errands you do not directly intervene unless there are problems.
•••• Grandmother/Grandfather: You stick close to the family estate, and you are charged with overseeing the other Family Elders to report to your Matriarch or Patriarch. While you might leave the grounds, your responsibility is to keep things running smoothly on the family compound. This might include dealing with visitors and intruders, but it also may involve smoothing other small disagreements, managing resources, or currying favor from potential allies.
••••• Matriarch/Patriarch: You are the head of your estate, and the primarily representative of your revenant family. You decide what orders to give, who to give them to, and when they make sense to be carried out. You immerse yourself in politics and strategic maneuvers for the benefit of your revenant family, and are well-versed in knowing the identity of your rivals, allies, and enemies. As the ultimate arbiter, you are also recognized by your family’s Clan sponsor as the only spokesperson and legitimate authority.
Source: V20 Ghouls and Revenants Pg 122-4.

Majordomo: Describes a ghoul who serves as the chief steward of their domitor's estates and affairs. This role is characterized by a high level of trust and responsibility, allowing the Majordomo to manage the household, hire and supervise Retainers, and oversee tasks without directly involving the domitor. The Majordomo acts as the domitor's representative, giving orders and making decisions on her behalf, and often has access to sensitive information and influence within the household. Despite the autonomy and respect this position commands, the Majordomo remains subject to the domitor's will and can face severe consequences if their loyalty is questioned. This role is more common among Camarilla domitors, where the structure and trust levels support such a position, but it is rare among the Sabbat and virtually non-existent among independent ghouls or revenant families. The Majordomo Background is a variant of the Retainers Background, with dots reflecting the level of authority and influence the Majordomo has over other servants in the household.
• One Servant
•• Two Servants
••• Three Servants
•••• Four Servants
••••• Five Servants
Source: V20 Ghouls and Revenants Pg 124-5.

Ancestors: Ancestral memory in humans is no more than pseudoscientific nonsense. To the Garou, who can contact the spirits of their ancestors, it’s a fact of life. Many werewolves carry some of the memories of a distant ancestor; some even allow their forebears to take over their bodies. Once per game session, the player of a Garou with this Background may roll his Ancestors Background (difficulty 8, or 10 if he’s trying to contact the spirit of a specific ancestor). Each success allows the character to increase any Ability by one for the purposes of a single dice pool, even if he has no dots in the Ability — and he doesn’t suffer the penalty for not having the Ability. For example, young Michel, a pure flatlander, must scale an immense cliff to come to the aid of his embattled pack. Michel has an Ancestors rating of 4 and Athletics 0. He calls on his forebears to guide him, and Michel’s player rolls four dice at difficulty 8. He scores three successes. Michel contacts his great-great-great granduncle Cragtamer, who guides him over the sheer face and over the top. Now the player has an effective Athletics rating of 3 to make his climbing roll. If the Garou had an Athletics rating of 2, then his effective dice pool would be 5. All effects last for the rest of the scene. While it is more difficult to contact a specific ancestor, successful contact provides either useful advice or precognitive visions at the discretion of the Storyteller. Botching an Ancestors roll may indicate that the character becomes catatonic for the remainder of the scene as he’s overwhelmed by the memories of thousands of lives. Alternatively, the ancestral spirit refuses to relinquish the body. How long the ancestor stays depends on the Storyteller.
• You have brief, hazy visions from the distant past.
•• You remember faces and places from past lives just as you remember those of your early childhood.
••• You put names to faces among your ancestors.
•••• Ancestors converse with you on a regular basis.
••••• Your ancestors watch your adventures with interest, and they often come to counsel you.
Sources: W20 Pg 136.

Fate: The Fate Background represents a prophecy that accompanied your birth or the creation of your pack. A Fate is always something significant, but it’s as likely to be dark and infamous as it is to be full of glory. In these times of Apocalypse, the Garou cannot afford to sacrifice even one warrior, no matter how dark the portents surrounding them are. However, even those with terrible fates often prove to be some of the greatest Garou, perhaps because they try so hard to defy their fate. Some even succeed. In addition to the fame or infamy these prophecies garner you, once per game session you may use this Background to add successes to any roll that either failed or achieved fewer successes than were required. The player rolls his rating in this Background (difficulty 8) and adds any successes to those that were achieved in the original failed roll. If this means the action succeeds, the player should describe what fortuitous events caused him to succeed. If the Storyteller feels the player’s actions run against what he is destined to do, she may choose to disallow the use of the background. When Fate is pooled among the pack, each member may call on this Background once per game session. If the action failed involves the entire pack in some way, then the player may draw on an amount of Fate up to the highest individual Fate in the pack. If the character is acting on her own, the player can only draw on an amount of Fate up to the lowest individual Fate in the pack (to a minimum of one). In a pack with pooled Fate, any character can raise her personal Fate with experience points, much like the Totem Background. However, she can only raise it up to the same level as the highest Fate in the pack — if no member of the pack starts with more than three dots of Fate, no pack member can ever buy Fate up to four or five dots. Packs tend to garner prophecies of greater proportions than individuals. This is not only because of the greater weight a pack can swing compared to a single werewolf, but also because the Garou tend to see a pack’s accomplishments as more legitimate than those of just one person. For roleplaying purposes, consider the pack’s Fate to be equal to that of the highest Fate rating in the pack. Fate may be pooled among a pack.
• Your pack will be involved in an event that will make you known to the entire Garou Nation. For now, though, only those in your sept know of this prophecy.
•• Your pack will be the cause of an event that greatly impacts your sept, such as the destruction of a long time enemy or a highly admired Garou. The Garou throughout the city or local geographical area in which you reside might know your fate.
••• Your pack will be responsible for an event that impacts werewolves across the continent, perhaps singlehandedly saving (or destroying) a caern. Any Garou in your hemisphere might know of the prophecy.
•••• The actions of your pack will affect the entire Garou Nation, such as the defeat of a great Wyrm enemy or the massacre of dozens of Garou. There might be a cub or two that hasn’t heard of your destiny, but don’t count on it.
••••• You, or your pack, will be a direct factor in the fate of the Apocalypse, one way or another. There isn’t a cub that hasn’t heard of your destiny.
Sources: W20 Pg 137.

Fetish: You possess a fetish — a physical object into which a werewolf has bound a spirit. The spirit grants a number of powers to a fetish, so they are very significant to the Garou. Such things are valuable, and other Garou (or other supernatural beings) may covet them. A number of sample fetishes are presented on p. 221.
• You possess one Level One fetish.
•• You possess one Level Two fetish or two Level One fetishes.
••• You possess one or more fetishes with a total of three levels.
•••• You possess one or more fetishes with a total of four levels.
••••• You possess one or more fetishes with a total of five levels.
Source: W20 Pg 137-8.

Kinfolk: Kinfolk are otherwise normal humans and wolves who descended from Garou without inheriting their spiritual duty. Through this Background you are in contact with a number of Kinfolk. While Kinfolk are normal members of their species in most respects, they are immune to the Delirium, giving them the dubious advantage of looking upon a Crinos-form werewolf. They know that you are Garou, and they are willing to help you however they can, although most are not in positions of power (such people are considered Allies). Networks of Kinfolk are a valuable way for werewolves to deal with the human world without risking frenzy or discovery. Some Kinfolk may be related to you directly, while others are contacts you have made through your sept. Kinfolk may be pooled among a pack.
• Two Kinfolk
•• Five Kinfolk
••• 10 Kinfolk
•••• 20 Kinfolk
••••• 50 Kinfolk
Source: W20 Pg 138.

Pure Breed: Garou take great stock in ancestry, and the werewolf who is descended from renowned forbears has a definite advantage in Garou society. This Background represents your lineage, markings, bearing and other features of birth. Other Garou revere werewolves with high ranks in Pure Breed as heroes of yore come to life — and such werewolves are expected to act the part. The higher your Pure Breed score is, the more likely you are to impress elder councils or receive hospitality from foreign tribes. Each point of Pure Breed adds an extra die to formal challenges (such as Rank challenges) and to Social rolls involving other Garou (even Ronin or Black Spiral Dancers). Pure Breed is a nebulous combination of bloodline and spiritual inheritance. A character with high Pure Breed looks and carries himself like an archetypal member of his tribe — however, if he does not join that tribe, any benefits of Pure Breed are removed by the tribe’s totem. Many werewolves with Pure Breed can trace their ancestry directly, while others resemble distant ancestors who cannot be connected without a degree of genealogical exactitude that is lost to the Garou. Some tribes place more value on good breeding than others, but Pure Breed is almost universally respected. It’s a mystical trait, and werewolves can tell instinctively whose blood is particularly pure. Of course, Garou expect those of pure blood to live up to the standards set by their noble ancestors. They frown on those who can’t or won’t accept the challenge.
• You have your father’s eyes.
•• Your grandfather made a name for himself at the Battle of Bloody Ford, and you carry that name with pride.
••• Your pedigree is blessed with pillars of the Garou Nation, and the blood tells.
•••• You could be dressed as a beggar and still command respect.
••••• The greatest of heroes live on in you.
Source: W20 Pg 138.

Rites: Rituals are an important part of Garou life. This Trait denotes how many rites the character knows at the beginning of the game. The rating represents levels of rites, so a character with four dots in this Background may have a Level Four rite, one Level One and one Level Three rites or any other combination. Remember that to learn a rite the character needs a Rituals Knowledge rating at least equal to the level of a given rite. While Rank is not necessarily a factor, many Theurges would need a pretty convincing reason to teach a Level Five rite to a Rank 1 Garou. Note that two minor rites can be purchased in place of one Level One rite.
• You know one level of rites.
•• You know two levels of rites.
••• You know three levels of rites.
•••• You know four levels of rites.
••••• You know five levels of rites.
Source: W20 Pg 139.

Spirit Heritage: The Garou are creatures of duality — torn between man and wolf, and between flesh and spirit. The Garou share a kinship with inhabitants of the spirit world, but some have a stronger connection than others. For some reason, perhaps an ancestral tie to a household of spirits, certain types of spirits react more positively to you than others. This doesn’t need to be a friendly relationship — spirits may be fearful and respectful of you, in awe of you, or feel a sense of duty to you. No matter what the relationship, one group of spirits is more likely to cooperate with you. When you select this background, choose one type of spirit. Examples of possible groups are animal spirits, plant spirits, elementals, urban spirits, and even Banes. When dealing with spirits of this type, the player may add his Spirit Heritage rating to any Social rolls, or rolls involved in challenges. Spirits whom you are attuned to view you, to some degree, as one of their own — a daunting prospect for those attuned to Banes, when other Garou discover their heritage. If you act against such spirits or ignore their plights, you may be seen as betraying them.
• Spirits can smell their scent on you, though no one else can
•• The spirits note your arrival. You bring your chosen spirits to mind in others when they look at you, though few understand why.
••• In the Umbra, you emanate an intangible, though noticeable, sense of your aligned spirit type.
•••• In the Umbra, you have visible hints of your aligned spirit type. Those attuned to nature spirits may have tiny twigs emerge from their fur, for example.
••••• Some question if you really are only half spirit.
Source: W20 Pg 139.

Totem: Totem is a Background that applies directly to the character’s pack, rather than the individual. Unlike other pooled Backgrounds, the pack spends all of the points that members have invested in this Trait to determine their totem’s power. Each totem has a Background cost rating; the pack must spend that amount to ally with that totem. Some totems are willing to lend great powers to their adherents; their point costs are correspondingly greater. See Pack Totems (p. 373) for a list of possible totems. In addition to their Totem bonuses, all beginning totems have a base of eight points to divide among Rage, Willpower, and Gnosis. The totem also begins with the Airt Sense and Re-form Charms. Apart from bestowing power, totems start out somewhat aloof from the pack, and they have little influence among spirits, unless the players buy a closer connection with Background points. With time, roleplaying, and experience points, pack totems can grow in power as their pack grows in Rank and influence. Some totems can even become the totems of whole septs or — in legendary circumstances — even tribes. Most of the powers that totems bestow are available to only one pack member at a time. At the end of each turn, the Garou with the power declares who the power may be given to next turn (assuming that she doesn’t keep it). After spending the initial cost of the totem, the players can spend any remaining Background points to add to the totem’s strength and abilities.
Cost Power
1 Per three points to spend on Willpower, Rage, or Gnosis
1 Totem can speak to the pack without the benefit of the Gift: Spirit Speech.
1 Totem can always find the pack members.
2 Totem is nearly always with the pack members.
2 Totem is respected by other spirits.
2 Per charm possessed
3 Per extra pack member who can use the totem’s powers in the same turn
4 Totem is connected mystically to all pack members, allowing communication among them even at great distances.
5 Totem is feared by agents of the Wyrm. Either minions of the Wyrm flee from the pack, or they do their best to kill the pack.
The listed cost is in Background points, which can be bought through experience (see Spending Experience Points, p. 244) at the rate of two experience points per Background point. (Therefore, three points of Rage would cost two experience points.) The Storyteller should allow increases in totem powers only when it fits in to the story, such as when pack members gain a higher rank, a new member joins the pack, or when pack members gain new insight into the nature of their totem. When the totem is affiliated with a more powerful spirit, the greater spirit might grant the strengthening of its servant (pack totem) in return for a great service done it by the pack.
Source: W20 Pg 140.

Many of the backgrounds in this section resemble the ones that appear in the Werewolf: The Apocalypse, 20th Anniversary Edition. These backgrounds, however, emphasize their relevance to Kinfolk characters. Other backgrounds are new and pertain exclusively to Kinfolk (or as exclusively as a Storyteller wishes them to be). Storytellers should help their players choose backgrounds that fit the Chronicle. The Backgrounds Allies, Contacts, and Mentor remain the same for Kinfolk. The main rulebook covers these. Kinfolk may not purchase Kinfolk, Past Life, Rites, Totem, or Fetish. Instead, Kinfolk may purchase the new Background Kinfolk Rites in order to learn special rites just for them. They may take Fetish as a Kinfolk Merit.
Source(s): Kin Pg 60.

Equipment: Either from your Garou family, a Fellowship (see pp. 27-31), another connection, or through your own cleverness, you have access to highly specialized equipment not available through standard channels. This equipment can range from the relatively simple (silver bullets) or rare and hard to get (a mage’s “ray gun”). You begin the game with this equipment, but when it’s gone, whether used up, lost, stolen, or destroyed, you cannot replace it except through roleplaying. (See below, or the main rulebook for ideas or examples.)
• One minor item: Equipment may include silver bullets, quality Kevlar vests, street-level drugs, etc.
•• Two minor items: These can include laser sights, healing herbs, gas masks, or police-issue pepper spray.
••• One major item: These include explosive ammunition, wiretaps, pharmaceuticals, surgical field kits, white noise generators, small private aircraft, and other items of similar quality. If you have the Merit Gnosis (5 pts.), you could have a lesser talen at this level.
•••• Two major items: More major items include specialized vehicles, military-issue firearms, electron microscopes, etc. If you have the Merit Gnosis (6 pts.), you could have a greater talen at this level.
••••• One unique item: High-tech experimental firearms, magical crystal balls, and untraceable poisons fatal to Garou are possible. If you have the Merit Gnosis (7pts.), you may elect, instead, to own one powerful talen. At this level, the Storyteller should help the player select the item so that it will not overbalance the story
Source(s):Kin Pg 60.

Garou Favor: You have somehow earned a big favor from a Garou. Perhaps you rescued one or more of his Kinfolk or saved his life. You might have performed some action that prevented the destruction of a caern or other spot sacred to Gaia. This means that you can claim one favor from the Garou who owes you. The type of favor is up to you and your Storyteller. It could range from a “get out of jail free” card that provides you with an out from a risky or potentially fatal situation. You can either gain some positive boon from the Garou or avoid a negative effect. It might be a cash gift, a piece of fancy equipment, even a hit on someone who is threatening you or your family. Like the Equipment Background, once you call in your favor, it is gone. You can always try to earn another one by roleplaying for it in the game. Explain to the Storyteller the circumstances that led to your acquiring the favor.
• One favor from a Garou of low rank (0-1).
•• One favor from a Garou of medium rank (2).
••• One favor from a Garou of high rank (3-4).
•••• One favor from a Garou of highest rank (5).
••••• One favor from a tribal leader.
Source(s):Kin Pg 61.

Renown: Very few Kinfolk ever gain Renown in the eyes of Garou. Occasionally, one of the Kin performs some action that the Garou feel merits the awarding of Renown. This Background allows your character to begin the game with some temporary Renown. You may choose whether the points go into Honor, Wisdom, or Glory, or whether you receive a combination of the three. You should work out with your Storyteller the circumstances under which your character receives her Renown. (See the Renown Chart for more information and suggestions.) Even possessing Renown, a Kinfolk may never receive the rank of a Garou. Nevertheless, as with Pure Bloodline, Garou recognize and honor Kinfolk with Renown, but they demand more work and service from them as well.
• One temporary point of Renown.
•• Two temporary points of Renown.
••• Three temporary points of Renown.
•••• Four temporary points of Renown.
••••• Five temporary points of Renown.
Source(s):Kin Pg 61.

KINFOLK RENOWN: The following chart illustrates sample awards of Kinfolk Renown. You may add to it or use it as the basis for designing your own chart to fit your chronicle. Keep in mind that every positive award carries the potential for an even greater negative. If you refer to the Renown Chart in Werewolf: The Apocalypse, 20th Anniversary Edition (pp.246-250), remember that Kinfolk awards do not receive as many points. As a rule of thumb, give one point of Kinfolk Renown for every four points of Garou Renown. Only use Renown if you think it will not unbalance or detract from the focus of your chronicle.

Activity / Glory/Honor/Wisdom

COMBAT AND ENCOUNTERS

Extreme valor in the face of death / Glory 1
Surviving an Incapacitating Wound / Glory 1

MYSTICAL EVENTS
Exposing Wyrm-tainted Kinfolk / Glory 1
Exposing a Garou as Wyrm-tainted / Wisdom 4
Having and following a prophetic vision / Wisdom 2
Discovering fetishes, talens, long-lost lore / Wisdom 1 to 3
Being asked to participate in a moot or rite Honor 1 / Wisdom 2

CAERN ACTIVITIES
Being asked to help guard a caern / Glory 1
Dying in defense of a caern / Glory 3 Honor 3
Refusing to fight in defense of a caern / Glory -3 Honor -1
RELATIONS WITH GAROU AND KINFOLK
Serving your tribe faithfully (five years) / Honor 1 Wisdom 1
Maintaining good relations with other Kin / Wisdom 1
Bearing Garou offspring / Honor 1 Wisdom -1
Refusing to mate* / Honor -4
MANNERS AND BEHAVIOR
Answering a request for sage advice / Wisdom 1
Protecting Garou not of your tribe / Honor 1
Rudeness / Honor -1 Wisdom -1
Speaking badly of Garou / Wisdom -3
Acting without honor / Honor -1 to -5

• Only levied once the Kin is no longer capable of fathering or bearing a child, and then only if he/she willfully resisted doing so all that time (miscarriages or lack of fertility don’t count so long as the Kin tried to have a baby).
  

Source(s):Kin Pg 62.

Rites: Like their Garou relatives, Kinfolk find importance and meaning in the performance of rituals to celebrate who they are, recognize significant milestones in their lives and otherwise mark themselves as separate from non-Kinfolk humans. This Background determines how many rites the character knows at the beginning of the game. The ratings represent levels of rites, so that a character with four dots in Rites may know one Level Four rite, four Level One rites, two Level Two rites or a Level One and a Level Three rite. A character must have a Rituals Knowledge rating of at least the level of the rite she wishes to learn, so our character in the previous example must have four dots in Rituals to have that Level Four rite. These levels refer to Kinfolk rites only; if a Kinfolk who possesses the Rituals Knowledge wishes to learn a Garou rite, she must work that out with her Garou kin. Kinfolk may not learn above a Level Two Garou rite. Higher levels of the Rituals Knowledge allow a Kinfolk to learn only more Level One or Two Garou rites. For example, a Kinfolk with four dots in Rites may, with permission, learn four Level One Garou rites, or two Level Two, or two Level Ones and one Level Two Garou rite. Kinfolk may also learn minor Kinfolk rites at a cost of two minor rites per dot. This Background merely notes how many levels of rites a Kinfolk knows, not whether or not they are Kinfolk or Garou rites. Being able to know a rite and actually learning it are two very different things.
• You know one level of rites.
•• You know two levels of rites.
••• You know three levels of rites.
•••• You know four levels of rites.
••••• You know five levels of rites.
Source(s):Kin Pg 63.

Arcane/ Cloaking: Allows a character to become difficult to notice or remember. This trait helps the character blend in with crowds, obscure their features on camera, and makes it hard for people to recall specific details about them. It isn't invisibility but a subtle ability to "get lost" in an increasingly monitored world. In gameplay, this means adding extra dice to Stealth-related rolls and reducing opponents' dice pools when they try to track the character. While the character is not completely hidden, especially if they have distinctive features or are being overt, their presence becomes less memorable and harder to pinpoint.
X You’re as obvious as anybody else.
• You blend into crowds.
•• Your presence slides out of memory.
••• You’re that person no one easily recalls.
•••• Records, pictures, even memories of you are few and hard to find.
••••• You’re like a ghost in this world, known only to the folks you want to trust.
Source: M20 Pg 305.

Avatar/ Genius: Represents the mage's Awakened self, enabling them to perform magical feats. Whether seen as a mystical inner spirit or a higher state of consciousness, the Avatar or Genius is essential for channeling magical energy, known as Quintessence. This Trait measures the strength and clarity of the mage's higher self, influencing their ability to hold and use Quintessence. While Arete determines the mage's skill in casting spells, a higher Avatar/Genius rating enhances their connection to their higher self, making it more prominent and effective in their perception and magical practice. Mages with this Trait can better absorb and utilize Quintessence, significantly enhancing their magical abilities.
X An ephemeral Avatar hardly capable of magick.
• A notable presence that lets you absorb or expend one point of Quintessence.
•• A dynamic presence that lets you absorb or expend two points of Quintessence.
••• A discernable entity that lets you absorb or expend three points of Quintessence.
•••• A potent spirit that lets you absorb or expend four points of Quintessence.
••••• A powerful force of Enlightenment that lets you absorb or expend five points of Quintessence.
Source: M20 Pg 305-6

Backup: Allows a character to call upon a team of helpers from a larger organization they are affiliated with. These helpers, who have limited skills and are generally expendable, assist with simple tasks and then return to their organization. They aren't personally loyal to the mage but fulfill their duties as part of their job. This assistance can range from gun-wielding grunts for physical protection to other support roles like drivers, medics, or clerks, depending on the situation and the mage's group. To maintain this support, the mage must occasionally fulfill obligations to their organization and avoid excessive losses among their Backup. This Background may go higher than five dots – see (p. 301). For sample Backup characters and animals, see Appendix I, (pp. 618-639).
X You’re on your own, kid!
• Two typical agents.
•• Four basic agents or two skilled “temps.”
••• Six agents.
•••• Eight agents or four “temps.”
••••• 10 agents.
••••• • 12 agents or six “temps.”
••••• •• 14 agents.
••••• ••• 16 agents or eight “temps.”
••••• •••• 18 agents.
••••• ••••• 20 agents, or 10 “temps.”
Source: Pg 306-7

Blessing: A trait that gives a character a minor, story-based benefit tied to their beliefs or history, often linked to a supernatural figure or concept. This benefit comes with a quirky, sometimes uncanny side effect. For example, a character might always find extra money but also end up paying for group expenses. The Blessing does not directly impact combat or magic casting and is not overtly supernatural. It might have a rational explanation, though there's a clear connection to the figure that supposedly bestowed the blessing. If the character offends this figure, the Blessing may disappear. This Background often complements traits like Destiny or Totem, adding a layer of narrative depth to the character's abilities and quirks.
X No figure favors you.
• Life gives you small favors: your clothes always look clean and pressed, your kitchen never gets filthy, you find dollar bills on the ground, etc.
•• Little things go your way: You always find a parking space, win small amounts whenever you play the lottery, score someone’s phone number whenever you ask for it, etc.
••• You possess a strange affinity for certain things: your cooking always tastes good, you never get lost or lose your keys, babies fall asleep as soon as you start rocking them, etc.
•••• Your knack gets downright uncanny: kids shut up as soon as you tell them to, your suggestions always sound reasonable, you score with whomever appeals to you, etc.
••••• A major blessing follows you: your wallet and bank account always have one dollar left, your gun has one final bullet, you know secrets no one should be able to know about, etc.
Source: M20 Pg 307-8

Certification: Represents official documentation that allows a character to engage in regulated activities, such as hunting, driving, practicing medicine, or owning specific weapons. These activities typically involve risk, require special training, or impact society significantly. The Background level indicates the complexity and risk associated with the certification, with higher levels reflecting more hazardous or specialized activities. To possess a certification, a character usually needs to have a corresponding level of skill in the relevant area (e.g., a medical license would require several dots in the Medicine skill). Certifications can be associated with alternate identities, allowing the character to maintain different legal personas. However, possessing certifications also means a certain level of visibility to authorities, making the character more noticeable in official records, especially in situations involving regulated activities. This visibility can have consequences, such as increased scrutiny by law enforcement.
X The usual stuff – driver’s license, government ID card, nothing special.
• Hunting license, business license, passport to an open country, etc.
•• Teaching certificate, bodywork license, PADI certification, CPA, trucker’s or motorcycle license, basic firearms permit, etc.
••• Concealed weapons permit, HAZMAT disposal license, church-ordained clergy, lifeguard certification, private investigator’s license, private pilot’s permit, etc.
•••• Class C weapons permit, board-certified medical or legal professional, professional aircraft pilot’s license, government intelligence operative, etc.
••••• Diplomatic immunity, license to kill.
Source: M20 Pg 308.

Chantry/ Construct: Represents a base of operations for a group of mages, providing them with resources, security, and a place to gather. In the world of the Awakened, these places are essential for mages to consolidate their power, share knowledge, and protect themselves from external threats. Chantry: This term is generally used by Tradition mages and refers to a mystical stronghold or sanctuary. It can take many forms, such as a rural grove, an old theater, a secluded lab, or an urban office building. Chantries are often associated with communal living and cooperative magickal work. Construct: This term is used by the Technocratic Union and reflects a more organized, institutional base of operations. Constructs are often high-tech facilities equipped with advanced technology and hypertech resources, embodying the Union's pragmatic and structured approach. Characters with this Background are members of such a base and receive certain benefits, like access to resources, protection, and communal support. However, they also have responsibilities, such as contributing to the upkeep of the Chantry or Construct and following the rules set by its elders or leaders. Chantry/Construct Background Levels: Secure Squat (10-20 points): A basic safehouse with minimal resources. Small Sanctuary (21-30 points): A modest, secure location with some magickal or hypertech defenses. Mystic Chantry (30-70 points): A well-established base with significant resources, possibly including portals to other realms or spiritual guardians. Stronghold (71-100 points): A heavily fortified location with extensive resources and defenses. Power Center (101+ points): A major hub of power and influence, often with vast resources and potent magickal or technological capabilities. Mages can pool their points to create a Chantry or Construct, which involves a significant investment of time, money, and effort. The stability of the Chantry/Construct depends on the cooperation and survival of its members. If members leave or die, the points they contributed are lost, potentially destabilizing the group. Additional Backgrounds related to the Chantry or Construct, such as Allies, Arcane, Library, Node, and Resources, must be purchased separately, and pooling these Backgrounds among members can enhance the group's overall capabilities.
X No place to call home.
• One pool point or membership in a tiny Squat.
•• Two pool points or membership in a small Sanctuary.
••• Three pool points or membership in an average Chantry or Construct.
•••• Four pool points or membership in a Stronghold.
••••• Five pool points or membership in a Power Center.
Source: M20 Pg 308-9.

Cult: Represents a group of individuals who deeply revere and follow a mage, contributing their belief and support to the mage's rituals and magickal workings. This Background signifies more than just friendship or casual followers; it involves a dedicated and often fervent belief in the mage's abilities and significance. Key Points of the Cult Background: Nature of the Cult: The specifics of the cult's belief system aren't as crucial as the shared conviction among its members. This group could be a religious congregation, devoted fans, students, or any other gathering that holds the mage in high regard and believes in their supernatural abilities. Role in Rituals: Cult members can enhance the mage's rituals by adding to the caster’s dice pool, provided they share a common belief and participate in the ritual. This participation could be physical or, in some cases, remote (e.g., through a networked group linked by Mind magick or conference technology), but it requires undistracted, genuine conviction. Nature of Cult Members: Cult members are typically ordinary Sleepers, meaning they aren't particularly skilled or powerful, but their strong belief in the mage's abilities makes them valuable. More powerful followers are represented by other Backgrounds like Allies, Backup, or Retainers. Trust and Responsibility: The mage must maintain the trust and belief of the cult members. If the members’ faith in the mage wavers, the benefits of this Background are lost. The mage needs to at least appear to fulfill the expectations and beliefs of the cult members to maintain their support. Size and Impact: While it's possible for a mage to have a large cult with many followers, the mechanical benefits max out at a five-dot rating in this Background. Beyond this point, additional followers may not provide further magickal benefits, but they could offer other forms of support or influence. In gameplay, this Background allows a mage to harness the collective belief of their cult to enhance their magickal practices, reflecting the power of faith and community in the Awakened world.
X No cult.
• Tiny cult: 3-7 people. Add one die to the dice pool of a ritual cast with that group’s assistance.
•• Small cult: 8-12 people. Add two dice to rituals cast when that group is gathered.
••• Moderate cult: 13-17 people. Add three dice to rituals cast in the presence of the whole group.
•••• Large cult: 18-22 people. Add four dice to rituals cast with that group behind them.
••••• Huge cult, between 23-30 people. Add five dice to rituals cast when the entire cult has gathered.
Source: M20 Pg 310.

Demesne: Represents a personal mental space or sanctuary crafted by a mage's consciousness. This space, also known as a memory palace or dream realm, serves as a refuge, meditation aid, and a place for reflection or study. A Demesne is deeply connected to the mage's mind, shaped by their thoughts, memories, and subconscious.

Key Points of the Demesne Background:

Nature and Creation: A Demesne exists in the Maya as a semi-permanent Dream Realm, potentially created intentionally using the Talent: Lucid Dreaming or formed subconsciously. It can take various forms, such as a temple, a garden, a gallery, or even a nightmare realm, reflecting the mage's psyche and personal significance.

Control and Size: The Background rating indicates the mage's control over the Demesne. At lower levels, the mage can visit but not manipulate the realm, while higher levels grant greater control over its details. The exact nature and appearance of the Demesne should be determined in collaboration with the Storyteller, who may add elements to reflect the mage's subconscious mind.

Accessing the Demesne: The mage can enter the Demesne through dreaming or meditation by making a Perception + Demesne roll. The difficulty varies based on the situation, with normal conditions being easier (difficulty 5 or 6) and stressful conditions being harder (difficulty 7 to 9). Once inside, the mage's consciousness can explore the Demesne, though external stress can disrupt the experience.

Non-Physical Realm: The Demesne is purely a mental or astral space, with no physical presence. Mages do not need Mind 3 or higher to enter their Demesne, as the Background provides access. However, mages capable of astral travel can potentially explore beyond their Demesne into other Dream or Astral Realms.

Appearance and Environment: Within the Demesne, a mage's appearance reflects their mental state. Calm and lucid states allow for controlled, idealized appearances, while stress or fear may manifest physically in the dreamscape. Wits + Demesne (or Lucid Dreaming) rolls can be used to alter the mage's appearance and the environment within the Demesne.

Confronting Inner Issues: The Demesne can serve as a space for the mage to confront and resolve internal conflicts or issues. A successful Perception + Demesne roll can help the mage understand subconscious conflicts. Additionally, the mage can use the Demesne to access hidden memories, with the difficulty and number of successes required depending on the obscurity of the information.

Inviting Others: A mage with sufficient Mind abilities (Mind 3 for sleeping subjects, Mind 4 for awake subjects) can invite other people's consciousness into their Demesne. If the invitee resists, a Willpower contest determines the outcome. Unwilling participants can roll every few turns to escape the Demesne.

Quiet and the Demesne: If a mage falls into a Quiet, they can use their Demesne as a refuge. A Willpower roll (difficulty 9) can allow entry into the Demesne, providing a familiar space to navigate and potentially recover from the Quiet.
X No Dream Realm to speak of.
• Occasional visitor to the Realm. You have a name for it and recognize a few significant features.
•• A regular visitor, you’ve traveled extensively through the Demesne.
••• In your dreams, you know this place quite well.
•••• This is your Realm, and though you don’t command its every feature or resident, they know and recognize you as someone of authority there.
••••• Lord or Lady of the Demesne, you know and command this Realm as if it were your kingdom… because it is.
Source: M20 Pg 310-11.

Destiny: You’re a Chosen One, destined to play a vital role in the cosmic drama. Prophecies hint at your coming greatness; statistical analysis points toward your significance. Most importantly, you know you’re fated to be special. When things seem bleak, you can call upon this knowledge to get you through. Once per game session, you can call upon this sense of destiny if you’re facing a tough challenge or a tight spot. If you’ve spent all of your Willpower points before this crisis, you can roll your Destiny dice pool against difficulty 8. Each success you roll allows you to instantly regain a point of Willpower. With that restored confidence, you can cheat defeat or death, living another day to achieve Fate’s plans for you. At some point, however, you will finally face your final destiny. On that day, the Storyteller declares, “It’s your Moment of Destiny. Face THIS crisis on your own!” At that point, you’re out of special rolls. Whatever Fate has in store for you, it’s up to you to fulfill that destiny. If you happen to survive that encounter and achieve something memorable, this Background goes away, perhaps to be replaced by another Background (Storyteller’s option) that reflects the dramatic change of life you’ve endured. If you fail, you get stuck with the knowledge that Destiny came calling and you weren’t up to the task.
X You’re not especially important.
• A minor destiny; roll one die.
•• You’re significant; roll two dice.
••• You’re important; roll three dice.
•••• You’re destined for great things; roll four dice.
••••• Someday soon, you’ll be a legend; roll five dice.
Source: M20 Pg 311-12.

Dream/ Hypercram: Knowledge is everything to a mage. Being the conduits to cosmic consciousness that they can be, certain mages are able to access information that they have not personally studied or practiced. After taking a bit of time to meditate (or, in the case of Technocrats and other scientifically-minded willworkers, to Hypercram), such mages can temporarily tap into the wealth of knowledge and experience that’s out there, channeling Ability Traits they don’t normally possess. In story terms, your character takes a short period of time to concentrate on a particular situation. The more elaborate the situation, the longer it takes to meditate upon it. The form of concentration depends on the mage’s focus, and can range from a BDSM session to a hard night at the library. A scholar could hit the books and lose himself in study for an upcoming exam; a Pagan seer might walk through the woods, reaching out to the spirits of that place. Spider Chase might spin fire while Zafira Angelita prays for the guidance of God. In game terms, roll Perception + Dream (difficulty 6) to gain insights into the question at hand. As long as your character hasn’t been interrupted during his meditative practice, she can draw upon a certain amount of free-floating knowledge that deals with the situation. If the Perception + Dream roll succeeded, you get to substitute your Dream rating for another Ability that’s related to the subject of her concentration. If the character doesn’t normally have that Ability, she can still use it to address that situation for a single uninterrupted task, assuming that she meditated upon a related subject that day; if she does have that Ability, she can use the Dream rating instead of that Ability – one Trait does not add on to the other. As an example, let’s say that Spider’s facing a major fight against an opponent who really knows what he’s doing. Her slight Brawl Skill isn’t gonna cut it, so she meditates while spinning fire. Spider has four dots in Dream. Her player makes a successful Perception + Dream roll, and so, during that fight – and only for the duration of that fight – Spider finds herself with four dots’ worth of Martial Arts, an Ability she doesn’t normally possess. After the fight ends, Spider’s skill fades away; for the life of her, she can’t recall what she just did. This Background isn’t reliable. You might get some Ability you didn’t expect, and you can’t hang on to what you know – it’s more of a feeling than a certainty. The Dream-granted Ability lasts for the duration of one necessary task – a fight, an exam, a board meeting, a race, and so forth – and can be used only to fulfill that task. Dream can be used only once per day, and although the player can state what she’d like to learn, the Storyteller makes the final decision about the Ability conferred by that Dream.
X You lack that special connection to the collective consciousness.
• You catch hazy bits of related information. One die for the task.
•• Helpful insights present themselves during a trance. Two dice for the task.
••• Your meditations produce serious results. Three dice for the task.
•••• From a trance, you can pull amazing bits of knowledge. Four dice for the task.
••••• You’ve got a direct line to the collective consciousness. Given time to focus, you can pick up phenomenal things. Five dice for the task.
Source: M20 Pg 312.

Enhancement: Refers to the modification of living tissue through advanced technology or genetic manipulation, resulting in permanent alterations that grant characters extraordinary abilities. This Background is generally associated with the Technocracy, though other technologically inclined characters can potentially have enhancements as well, with certain limitations and drawbacks.

Types of Enhancements:

Cybernetics:

Nature: These are biomechanical devices integrated into the body, such as Primium bones, extendable claws, infrared scanners, and other machinery.
Drawbacks: Characters with cybernetic enhancements suffer from permanent Paradox points, making them more susceptible to Paradox backlashes. These enhancements can be removed by their creators, which is often fatal. Life-based magick affects them negatively, causing two additional levels of aggravated damage if the spell bypasses countermagick.
Control: Often, the creators of cyborgs maintain control or surveillance over them, installing failsafes to prevent rebellion or loss.
Biomods:

Nature: These are genetic or flesh-crafting modifications that permanently alter the body. Unlike cybernetics, biomods cannot be easily removed without surgery.
Drawbacks: Characters with biomods also accrue permanent Paradox points for obvious modifications and must take one Genetic Flaw per level of this Background. However, biomods do not suffer additional damage from Life Sphere magick like cybernetics do.
Genegineering:

Nature: Genegineering enhances a character's natural abilities, such as strength, intelligence, or appearance. These modifications are typically not visible unless the character exhibits extraordinary abilities.
Drawbacks: Like biomods, genegineering comes with Genetic Flaws, representing the risks and side effects of tampering with organic tissue.
Rules and Limitations:

Exclusive Use: A character may only possess one type of enhancement—cybernetics, biomods, or genegineering—not a combination of them.
Attributes Boosted: The attributes that can be enhanced include Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, Appearance, Perception, Intelligence, and Health. These traits can be increased up to a maximum of 8, divided among different attributes.
Cost: The Enhancement Background is more costly than typical Backgrounds, requiring two points per dot instead of one. It represents built-in Devices and cannot be shared or pooled with other characters.
Experience and Limits: Enhancements can be increased using experience points, provided a knowledgeable character assists. Player characters typically should not exceed a maximum rating of 5 in this Background.
Technocratic Preference: This Background is mainly for Technocrat characters. Other characters (like Etherites or Virtual Adepts) can access it with the Storyteller's approval, but they may face additional flaws or penalties due to less refined technology.
Additional Considerations:

Permanent Paradox: Enhancements, especially cybernetics, make characters more prone to Paradox accumulation, leading to potential backlashes and other complications.
Control and Surveillance: Especially for cyborgs, creators may exert control over the enhanced individuals, monitoring or even disabling them if necessary.
Life Magick Effects: Cybernetics suffer from adverse reactions to Life-based magick, while biomods and genegineered traits do not have this specific vulnerability.
X No special modifications.
• +1 Attribute dot, or 3 points for Devices. One Paradox point or Genetic Flaw.
•• +2 Attribute dots, or 6 points for Devices. Two Paradox points or Genetic Flaws.
••• +3 Attribute dots, or 9 points for Devices. Three Paradox points or Genetic Flaws.
•••• +4 Attribute dots, or 12 points for Devices. Four Paradox points or Genetic Flaws.
••••• +5 Attribute dots, or 15 points for Devices. Five Paradox points or Genetic Flaws.
Source: M20 Pg 312-13.

Familiar/ Companion:
Provides mages with a supernatural or technologically enhanced companion. These beings serve multiple purposes, including companionship, advice, and practical assistance. They can take various forms, from animals and machines to constructs and spirits, depending on the mage's style and Tradition.

Key Features:
Companionship: Familiars or Companions provide emotional support and a unique connection, often sharing an empathic bond with the mage.

Advice: They offer insights and knowledge, functioning similarly to the Knowledge abilities in the game. The dice pool for this advice equals the number of dots in the Familiar/Companion background.

Empathy: An empathic bond allows the mage and Familiar/Companion to sense each other's emotions, with potential for concealment through a Manipulation + Subterfuge roll.

Paradox Absorption (Feast of Nettles): Familiars/Companions can absorb Paradox energies, preventing backlash against the mage. They can hold a number of Paradox points equal to five times the background level. Excess Paradox can result in a backlash affecting both the mage and the Familiar/Companion.

Quintessence Feeding: These beings require Quintessence or Tass as sustenance, depending on their nature. Lack of Quintessence can cause the Familiar/Companion to leave, stripping the mage of the associated benefits.

Bond and Rituals: Establishing a bond with a Familiar/Companion involves a summoning or creation ritual. This bond demands commitment and, if broken (such as by the Familiar's death), leads to significant consequences, including loss of Willpower and Quintessence.

Familiar/Companion Types:
Charismatic Megafauna: Large, impressive animals like wolves, bears, or big cats.
Small Capable Animals: Common pets or small animals like cats, dogs, or birds.
Attack Beasts: Aggressive animals trained for combat.
Machines: Robots or androids.
Servitors: Clones or artificially created beings.
Dead Things: Zombies or animated body parts.
Constructs: Golems or cyborgs.
Hybrid Beings: Mythical creatures like mermaids or centaurs.
Aliens: Extraterrestrial beings.
Imps: Small, mischievous creatures.
Spirit Servitors: Elementals or minor spirits.
Data Beasts: Digital entities within the Digital Web.
•• You’ve got a pretty cool Companion. (Requires two Quintessence points per week and can absorb up to 10 points of Paradox.)
••• A magnificent Companion shares its wisdom and loyalty with you. (Three Quintessence points per week and up to 15 points of Paradox.)
•••• You’re favored with the presence (if not always the good behavior) of a smart and miraculous creature. (Four Quintessence points per week with up to 20 points of Paradox.)
••••• Your Familiar probably knows more than you do, can be quite demanding, and has a very outspoken personality. (Five Quintessence points per week, may retain up to 25 points of Paradox, and will give you lots of shit about both.)
Source: M20 Pg 314-16

Legend: Allows a character to channel their personal myth or persona to gain Quintessence, reflecting their legendary status and the power it conveys. Here’s a breakdown of how it works and its implications:

Key Aspects of the Legend Background
Living the Legend:

Legendary Persona: Your character embodies a legendary figure or archetype, which influences their behavior, appearance, and actions. This could be a historical figure, a mythological character, or even a modern pop-culture icon.
Power Source: By living up to this legend, your character acts as a walking Node, capable of recharging their own Quintessence and possibly that of others connected to their legend.
Game Mechanics:

Recharge Quintessence: You can roll your Legend Background once per story. Each success refreshes one point of Quintessence. The difficulty of this roll varies based on the legend’s recognition in the current setting (minimum difficulty is 6, but can go as high as 9 for obscure legends).
Instill Quintessence in Objects: You can imbue objects with Quintessence, turning them into Tass. The amount of Quintessence that can be instilled depends on your Legend rating:
1 Dot: Imbue one item with 1 point of Quintessence.
5 Dots: Imbue one item with 5 points of Quintessence, or distribute 1 point of Quintessence into 5 separate items.
Recharge Others: Awakened characters who participate in the legend with you can also benefit from this Quintessence recharge, reflecting their involvement in the legend.
Legendary Objects and Animals:

Legendary Status: Objects or animals can have their own Legend Background if they are linked to a legend and widely revered. For instance, Jimi Hendrix’s guitar could have its own Legend Background. Characters interacting with such items might recharge their Avatars or gain other benefits.
Storyteller’s Role: Legendary objects and animals should be controlled by the Storyteller. If allowed, they become Wonders or Allies rather than simple items.
Legend Resonance:

Echos of Legend: The Quintessence associated with a legend carries a specific Resonance, which affects how people perceive and feel about legendary elements. This can influence how characters interact with legendary artifacts and personas.
Compatibility:

Synergy: The Legend Background works well with other Backgrounds like Destiny, Past Lives, and Totem, as well as certain Merits and Flaws. It enhances a character's mythic significance and can tie into their broader narrative.
Requirements:

Authenticity: Simply resembling a legendary figure isn’t enough; your character must embody the essence of that legend in meaningful ways. The deeper and more genuine the connection to the legend, the more potent the Background's effects.
X No legendary connection.
• An obscure legend (Clever Gretel, Abou Hassan) or minor pop culture figure (Betty Boop, Grumpy Cat).
•• A minor legend (Sinbad the Sailor, Don Quixote) or significant pop culture figure (Janis Joplin, the Cheshire Cat).
••• A famous legend (Guy Fawkes, Shaka Zulu) or pop culture icon (Batman, Elvis).
•••• A major legend (George Washington, Geronimo, Red Riding Hood).
••••• A universally popular legend (Cinderella, King Arthur, the Mona Lisa).
Source: M20 Pg 317.

Library: Represents access to a significant collection of information, including books, media, and other archival materials. This Background is essential for mages who rely on research and historical knowledge for their magical practices. Here’s a detailed look at how the Library Background works and its implications:

Key Aspects of the Library Background
Nature of the Library:

Multimedia Collection: A Library can include a variety of materials such as books, photographs, records, film reels, and modern digital media like DVDs and MP3s. The specific content reflects the mage’s interests and needs.
Specialized Information: Libraries often contain esoteric, mystical, historical, or academic materials that are crucial for studying and practicing the magical Arts and Enlightened sciences.
Research Capabilities:

Access to Information: The Library allows the mage to access a vast repository of information which can be crucial for research, learning new magical abilities, or understanding complex topics.
Research Rolls: To use the Library effectively, a mage must make a roll of their Mental Traits (such as Intelligence or Wits) combined with their Library Background rating. The difficulty of this roll depends on the complexity and rarity of the information sought.
Size and Quality:

Scaling the Library: The effectiveness of the Library can be scaled above the usual maximum of 5 dots, reflecting an exceptionally large or comprehensive collection. A higher Library rating means more extensive and valuable information.
Group Libraries: If a group or cabal pools their resources, the combined Library rating equals the highest individual Library rating among them plus one dot for each additional contributor. This combined Library represents a richer and more diverse archive.
Practical Use:

Learning and Raising Traits: The Library aids in research for learning and improving Traits. The more extensive the Library, the more resources are available for studying and expanding a mage’s knowledge and magical skills.
Maintenance and Expansion:

Updating the Library: Mages often need to add to their collection to stay current with new topics and developments. This means a mage might regularly seek out new materials to keep their Library relevant and useful.
Example Use
A mage with the Library Background might have an extensive collection of ancient tomes on mystical rites, modern occult magazines, and digital archives of scholarly articles. When they need to perform complex rituals or understand obscure magical theories, they can roll their Mental Traits combined with their Library rating to find the necessary information. A well-maintained and high-rated Library allows for deeper and more detailed research.

Compatibility
Synergy: The Library Background works well with other Backgrounds and Traits that involve research, knowledge, and magical practice. It complements Backgrounds like Mentor and Resources, and Traits such as Intelligence and Academics.X Those copies of Cosmo won’t help you learn Spheres.
• You’ve got a few New Age paperbacks.
•• Lots of fiction, little substance.
••• There’s some useful stuff in there when you go digging for it.
•••• Your collection of arcane data is respectable.
••••• You’ve got a pretty decent collection of diverse lore.
••••• • You enjoy a huge personal archive.
••••• •• Your database features extensive written, recorded, and virtual information.
••••• ••• You’re got full access to a national archive.
••••• •••• You enjoy unrestricted access to personal, national, and classified databases.
••••• ••••• Given enough time (and assistance), you can access almost anything that’s been written down and stored. You might not understand it (damn those codes, lost languages, and foreign tongues!), but you could probably find it.
Source: M20 Pg 318.

Node: Represents access to a special location imbued with magical energy. Nodes are vital for mages seeking to restore their Quintessence or gather Tass, and they play a significant role in the magical landscape of the game. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the Node Background:

Key Aspects of the Node Background
Nature of a Node:

Magical Site: A Node is a location with a strong concentration of magical energy, often manifesting in various forms of Quintessence and Tass. These sites may not always be obvious but are highly sought after by magical and Technocratic forces.
Resonance: Each Node has a unique Resonance based on the type of energy that created it. This Resonance influences the nature of the Tass produced and the overall feel of the Node. For example, a Node associated with conflict might generate violent and chaotic Tass, while a Node connected to healing could produce soothing and restorative energy.
Functionality of the Node:

Quintessence and Tass Production: Nodes produce Quintessence and Tass. Quintessence can be absorbed by meditating at the Node, while Tass can be collected in physical form. The exact amounts depend on the chronicle’s setting. For high-fantasy settings, a Node might produce up to 10 points of Quintessence per week per dot in the Background, whereas in a "magic is dying" setting, it might be as little as 1 or 2 points per week per dot. For industrial-era settings, a standard rate is 2 points per week per dot, split between Quintessence and Tass.
Absorption and Replenishment: Quintessence can be absorbed by the mage’s Avatar, while Tass can be gathered and used later. The Node must replenish its energy before it can be used again if all its Quintessence is absorbed or collected.
Ownership and Defense:

Securing a Node: Nodes are valuable and often contested. Mages must defend their Nodes from other magical practitioners, Technocrats, or supernatural entities like werewolves. The Node might require protection and negotiation to maintain control.
Repurposing and Conversion: Nodes are frequently repurposed or claimed by different factions. Mystical mages might consecrate them for sacred purposes, while Technocrats might convert them into research facilities or power stations.
Interaction with Other Entities:

Technocrats and Mystics: Technocratic factions might sanitize and repurpose Nodes for their own use, often transforming mystical Nodes into industrial or scientific facilities. Mystical mages might establish temples or other sacred spaces at Nodes.
Werewolves: In werewolf lore, Nodes are akin to caerns, sacred spaces tied to their spiritual practices. They might seek to claim or interact with Nodes, especially those with strong natural or primal Resonance.
Pooling Resources:

Group Nodes: Multiple characters or groups can pool their Background points to acquire a larger or more potent Node. In such cases, the total Node rating is the highest individual rating among them plus one dot for each additional contributor. This collective Node will have a richer or more diverse energy source.
Node Levels and Scale:

Node Levels: Nodes are scaled on a 1-10 level, reflecting their power and the quantity of Quintessence and Tass they produce. Higher-level Nodes are more potent and can produce greater amounts of energy.
Example Use
A mage with a Node Background might have discovered an ancient site that radiates potent magical energy. When the mage meditates at this site, they restore their Quintessence more quickly than normal. Additionally, they can collect Tass from the site, which can be used to enhance their spells or rituals. They must be vigilant, however, as rival mages and supernatural beings might seek to claim or disrupt their Node.
X No place of power.
• A tiny site of minor significance. (Level One caern.)
•• A small trickle of metaphysical energy. (Level One caern.)
••• A steady flow of Quintessence. (Level Two caern.)
•••• A pulse of energy, plus generous quantities of materialized Tass. (Level Two caern.)
••••• A powerful wellspring of energetic abundance. (Level Three caern.)
••••• • A focused Node, with both Tass and ambient energy refined by Prime Arts or sciences. (Level Three caern.)
••••• •• A considerable force of metaphysical power. (Level Four caern.)
••••• ••• A rare and wondrous place, brimming with incarnate Prime Force. (Level Four caern.)
••••• •••• One of the grandest sacred spots, or most potent refineries, in the material world. (Level Five caern.)
••••• ••••• One of the rarest and most precious sites on Earth… and a certain battleground for the forces that would tap its power. (Level Five caern.)
Source: M20 Pg 319 - 320.

Past Lives:
Allows mages to draw upon the experiences and knowledge of their previous incarnations. It provides a way to gain extra dice for tasks and Abilities based on past-life insights, offering both practical benefits and rich role-playing opportunities. However, botching this roll can lead to overwhelming past-life trauma.
X No past lives to speak of.
• Faint traces of some previous incarnation.
•• Frequent cases of déjà vu.
••• Definite memories of other lives.
•••• Clear recall of previous experiences and other lives.
••••• Which life is this one again?
Source: M20 Pg 320.

Patron: Representing a powerful, secretive benefactor who supports your character, though their true identity and motives remain hidden. This mysterious figure provides aid through various means like reversing orders, issuing contracts, or delivering gifts, but their ultimate goals and the full nature of their connection to your character are unclear. While the patron’s assistance is valuable, it comes with the knowledge that they will eventually demand something in return.
X No special friends.
• A shadowy someone pulling occasional strings.
•• A helpful benefactor who chooses to remain concealed.
••• A superior or elder who helps you for mysterious reasons.
•••• A powerful party who appears to favor you.
••••• A high-ranking mage or Technocrat who seems dedicated to your well-being… at least for now.
Source: M20 Pg 320-1.

Rank:
Rank represents a significant position of authority or prestige in a non-mystical institution, such as a military, religious, or corporate role. This status grants you respect, certain perks, and influence over those within your domain, but it also comes with responsibilities. Your influence is most effective among those directly under your authority and may be reduced with others. In your official capacity, you can access resources and possibly fame related to your position, though any personal resources or fame are separate from this Rank. While Rank impacts your status in the mortal world, it doesn't affect your standing among mages.X No rank with noticing.
• Minor rank: Army sergeant, squire, deacon, school board member, novice journalist, junior manager, university instructor.
•• Low rank: Junior officer, knight, prior, city councilor, staff reporter, senior manager, professor.
••• Medium rank: Captain, baron, abbot, mayor, local columnist, corporate middlemanagement, tenured faculty.
•••• High rank: Major, count, bishop, governor,syndicated columnist, junior VP, department head.
••••• Command staff: General, prince, archbishop, senator, international correspondent, corporate VP, dean.
Source: M20 Pg 321.

Requisitions: Technocratic Background Trait that allows you to request and obtain specialized equipment and resources for missions. By rolling your Requisitions rating, you can gain Background points to purchase Devices and other necessary gear. The better your standing with your superiors, the easier it is to get what you need. However, if you misuse or damage the gear, your rating may drop, affecting your future access to resources. This Trait is specific to Technocrats and reflects the significant logistical support available to them, with your success or failure influencing your future requisitions.

Requisitions Chart
Relationship Difficulty
Doubtful Loyalty 9
Questionable Loyalty 8
Assumed Loyalty 7
Assured Loyalty 6
Total Loyalty 5
X No dice: “Get out of my office.”
• One die: They don’t take you seriously.
•• Two dice: “There might be something left over here for you…”
••• Three dice: You’ve earned their trust.
•••• Four dice: Q Division likes you.
••••• Five dice: You’re a trusted and valuable operative.
••••• • Six dice: A squad of proven agents.
••••• •• Seven dice: A trusted team of loyal ops.
••••• ••• Eight dice: A team of specialists.
••••• •••• Nine dice: An elite strike force with the utmost confidence from above.
••••• ••••• Ten dice: Maximum clearance, trust, and favor from above.
Source: M20 Pg 321-2.

Sanctum/ Laboratory: Gives you a private, specialized space for practicing your magical or scientific work. This space could be anything from a secluded grove to a high-tech lab, tailored to your needs and preferences. It provides several benefits: a secure location for experiments or rituals, a stockpile of necessary materials, and a reduction in difficulty for related tasks. Additionally, effects performed within the Sanctum are considered coincidental, meaning they're less likely to attract unwanted attention, while others' magic is deemed vulgar. The space is also protected from intrusion and cloaked to avoid detection, though its exact nature depends on the background rating. This Trait is valuable but requires ongoing maintenance to retain its effectiveness.
X No special space.
• A tiny stock of goods; no reduction of ritual difficulties, though your magick is coincidental here. One dot in Arcane.
•• Small stock of goods; ritual difficulties reduced by 1. Two dots in Arcane.
••• Decent stock of goods; ritual difficulties reduced by 1. Three dots in Arcane.
•••• Fine stock of materials; ritual difficulties reduced by 2. Four dots in Arcane.
••••• Excellent stock of materials; ritual difficulties reduced by 2. Five dots in Arcane.
Source: M20 Pg 323-4.

Secret Weapons: Available only to Technocratic field operatives, granting access to experimental technology from Q Division. This Trait provides you with prototype Devices for missions, which you must return with a report on their performance. The rating of this Trait determines the quality of the gear you receive. Before a mission, your Storyteller makes a roll to determine how favorable the Q Division representative’s opinion is, affecting the quality of the Devices you get. A successful roll gives you useful gadgets, while a botched roll results in flawed or unreliable equipment. The better your relationship with Q Division, the better the gear you receive.
X Typical agent – no goodies for you!
• You can get small items of trivial value: pens, lamps, nutrition bars, etc.
•• They send out small items with limited utility value: sensors, power sources, energy pills, etc.
••• You start to get the good stuff: small weapons, body armor, medical supplies, etc.
•••• A trusted agent, you know the quirks of various Q Div weaponsmiths because they come to you when their special toys need to be tested. These items tend to be useful but plagued with finicky and perhaps dangerous bugs.
••••• You get all kinds of cool, expensive stuff: armor, weapons, advanced transportation gear, and so forth. Now do be careful, 007!
Source: M20 Pg 325.

Spies: Represents a network of informants who provide you with valuable information. These spies come in various forms, such as disgruntled associates, loyal followers, or opportunists, and may be motivated by personal gain or obligation. While they may not be your friends and could even dislike you intensely, they report back in exchange for something you offer, like money or favors. However, their loyalty is precarious; they could be tempted to switch allegiances or be misled. In gameplay, this Trait allows you to gather intelligence, spread misinformation, make an impression from afar, or detect threats by using your spies to gather and interpret information.
X No special informants.
• One or two spies in helpful places – the police, the Mob, Wall Street, etc.
•• Four to six informants in various helpful areas.
••• A handful of spies in helpful places, plus a few in hard-to-reach areas (the Pentagon, the CIA, the UN, etc.), or one or two in highly secure areas (a Technocratic Symposium, a Tradition Chantry, a classified government bureau, etc.).
•••• Infiltrators in a whole sphere of influence (the underworld, a nation’s government, the international stock market, etc.), or a handful in a Construct, Chantry, vampire clan, werewolf tribe, and so forth.
••••• Eyes and ears throughout the Sleeper world, or several contacts in the supernatural realm.
••••• • You’ve got a small news industry or intelligence agency on your payroll, and it has some perspective on supernatural affairs as well.
••••• •• Beyond the hundreds of contacts you have in the mortal world, you’ve got plenty of “friends” scattered throughout the supernatural realm.
••••• ••• You’ve got an entire intelligence agency fielding and processing information for you.
••••• •••• Big Brother.
••••• ••••• Big Brother on a global scale.
Source: M20 Pg 325.

Totem: Reflects the bond between a shaman and a powerful spirit archetype. This bond grants the shaman various benefits based on the nature of the totem spirit. Here's a breakdown:

Overview
Who Can Have It: Only shamans or medicine workers.
Nature of the Bond: The shaman forms a pact with a spirit that provides aid and guidance. The spirit, in turn, receives a human ally for Earthly matters. This bond is more like family than a strict contract.
Interaction: The totem communicates through omens, dreams, or whispers. Higher-level bonds might allow more direct interaction.
Benefits by Rating
Communication: The totem can communicate with the shaman through dreams and omens. At higher ratings (4 or 5), communication becomes clearer.
Appearance: The totem may manifest visibly at higher levels, either as an invisible form or a powerful spirit-animal.
Ability: The shaman gains additional dice for Abilities related to the totem's nature (e.g., stealth for a Fox totem).
Wisdom: The shaman learns how to navigate the spirit world, gaining dots in Cosmology, Lore (Spirits), or both.
Totem Mark: The shaman's appearance and behavior start to reflect the totem's nature. This connection becomes more noticeable to others as the rating increases.
Maintenance
Cost: Two points per dot, similar to other high-value Background Traits like Enhancements and Sanctum.
Loss: The bond must be maintained; failing to do so might result in losing dots or even the Totem Background.
Restrictions
Technocrats: Generally cannot bond with totem spirits, though there are rare exceptions.
Other Traditions: Some groups, like monotheistic Hermetics or high-ritual types, may find it difficult to win a totem’s favor.
Usage
Roleplaying: The bond with a totem spirit influences both the shaman's behavior and their interactions with the spirit world. It can complement other Traits and Merits related to spirit work.
X No totem spirit bond.
• Your totem appears in dreams and visions and offers one additional die to your normal pool for an Ability (Athletics, Stealth, Survival, etc.) that’s related to the totem spirit’s nature.
•• The totem speaks to you, offering occasional cryptic advice and omens, plus two dice that can be used for that related Ability.
••• Your spirit guide appears in your waking life, though only to you and to other folks who can see spirits. The totem gives you advice, sends omens, occasionally manifests a spirit animal for non-combat errands, grants two dice to use on that related Ability, and gives you one dot in Cosmology or Lore.
•••• A powerful bond allows your totem to manifest in solid form. That spirit offers frequent advice and omens, gives you three dice to use in the appropriate Ability, confers two dots in either Cosmology or Lore, and might help you in a desperate combat situation (as an Ally would) in exchange for a huge favor afterward. Among spirits and spirit-working people, you’re clearly favored by your totem and display obvious signs of that bond in your appearance and behavior.
••••• Your totem loves you! In dreams, visions, omens, and solid form, that spirit provides frequent company and aid. You get three dice toward the appropriate Ability, add two dots each in Cosmology and Spirit Lore, and may receive help in desperate situations. Your bond to that spirit is obvious to anyone and marks you as a very strange, primal, and probably intimidating person.
Source: M20 Pg 326-8.

Wonder (Device/ Fetish/ Talisman, etc.): A wonder by any name is still as sweet... and you have one. What’s a Wonder? Perhaps it’s a mystic Talisman imbued with magickal power; a Fetish whose strange properties come from a spirit bound within its form; or a Technocratic or weird-science Device, shaped by Enlightened Science into something that transcends mortal technology. In game terms, a Wonder is simply an item with Sphere Effects of its own. Although such items, with a few exceptions, usually work only for mages, the Wonder’s form and function depend on the people who created it and the methods involved in its creation. So long as your Storyteller agrees, a Wonder can be anything: an oak branch carved with Nordic runes, a plasma cannon, a robotic SUV, a bank card that skims money from every account held by that bank, an enchanted guitar, an owl -feather pen that writes in any human language… the Wonder’s form and function can, within limits, be whatever you want them to be. Certain terms (Fetish, Device, etc.) define particular types of items. The Toybox section of Appendix II (see pp. 651-653) features details, rules, and an array of sample Wonders. Wonders can be temperamental… especially Fetishes, whose guiding spirits have personalities of their own. Even Devices, however, can seem uncannily stubborn, as anyone with a finicky car or computer can attest. They tend to have odd effects on the people who use them, especially mages who rely upon Wonders the way Elric of Melniboné relies upon his sword Stormbringer. In many cases, Wonders have elaborate backstories about their creation, history, and deeds. If your character begins play with a Wonder, work out an intriguing history and description of that item, then pass it off to your Storyteller for approval and further elaboration. Chances are, your Wonder will have secrets you won’t know about. Ideally, a Wonder is more than a simple “magic item”; instead, it’s a miracle in material form – solid proof of magick’s reality.
X No items of power.
• A Wonder with one small power – that is, a Wonder worth 1-3 points.
•• A Wonder with one or two powers, probably with some Quintessence and an Arete of its own. (4-6 points.)
••• A Wonder with a few notable powers or one respectable one. (7-9 points.)
•••• A Wonder with impressive powers or a powerful Effect. (10-12 points.)
••••• A Wonder with mighty powers or a single devastating Effect. (13-15 points.)
Source: M20 Pg 328.

Chimerical Items: Every changeling’s voile, his chimerical clothing, forms to suit him upon his Chrysalis. The Chimera Background represents any chimerical items in his possession beyond this. The item’s usefulness and power determine the rating for this Background. Each dot represents one rank on the threshold chart under “Creating Chimerical Items” on p. 317.

• You own a chimerical memento or conversation piece (Basic crafting).
•• Your chimerical item conveys some useful benefit (Advanced crafting).
••• You have a moderately powerful chimerical item (Complex crafting).
•••• You own a powerful chimerical item (Masterwork crafting).
••••• Your chimerical item is legendary (Legendary crafting).
Source(s): C20 Pg 169.

Chimerical Companions: Companions are living chimera either born of unconscious dreams or sculpted into existence from raw dream stuff, then breathed life by a changeling. While the character has either befriended or bound the chimera, powerful ones have motivations of their own that may occasionally conflict with those of their companions. The higher a changeling’s rating in this Background, the more points the player has to build the companion, using the system on p. 320.

• You have a simple chimerical pet (20 points).
•• Your chimera is semi-intelligent and able to communicate (25 points).
••• The chimera is able to speak clearly and often has amind of its own (30 points).
•••• You have a highly intelligent chimera that is often a great help (40 points).
••••• Your friend is an ancient and/or powerful chimera that is a legend in its own right (60 points).
Source(s): C20 Pg 169.

Dreamers: Changelings primarily gain Glamour by inspiring Dreamers. This Background represents the number of Dreamers from whom the character draws Glamour. Cultivating a Dreamer is an intimate experience of psychological bonding, whether through trust or fear. A Dreamer is usually willing to perform services for her changeling, but isn’t as loyal or efficient as Retinue. The player should describe details such as how the changeling inspires the Dreamer and what form the Dreamer’s Glamour takes.

Because of their unique bond, the changeling already knows how to inspire her Dreamer. Each dot of the Dreamers Background provides one automatic success on the initial Perception + Kenning roll when initiating Reverie. For more unsavory changelings, this Background provides a ready pool of Dreamers on which to Ravage.

• You benefit from one Dreamer.
•• You benefit from two Dreamers.
••• You benefit from four Dreamers.
•••• You benefit from six Dreamers.
••••• You benefit from eight Dreamers.
Source(s): C20 Pg 169.

Holdings: Freeholds, no matter the size, are extremely rare, valuable commodities in faerie society. Though being the keeper of a freehold provides a steady supply of Glamour, responsibility for it comes with a number of obligations. He must maintain it each year to keep its balefire burning. If he’s a noble, modernist commoners might see his Holding as a symbol of oppression and seek to liberate it. If he is a commoner, traditionalist nobles might see it as an affront to the natural order and seek to restore the freehold to its proper owners. If he holds it in secret, changelings who get wind of it might jealously seek it for themselves.

The Holdings rating determines the amount of Glamourthe freehold produces and its physical size. For more information about freeholds and examples, see Chapter Seven: The Dreaming. This Background may be pooled among the characters in a motley.

• You preserve a spark of a freehold that produces one point of Glamour.
•• You take care of a small freehold that produces two points of Glamour.
••• You are the keeper of a medium sized freehold that produces three points of Glamour.
•••• You are in charge of a large freehold that produces four points of Glamour.
••••• You oversee a huge freehold that produces five points of Glamour.
Source(s): C20 Pg 169-70.

Remembrance: A character’s current life as a changeling is not his first lifetime. All who’ve undergone the Changeling Way have experienced a multitude of lifetimes. An Arcadian sidhe new to the Autumn Realm lived an eternity as an ageless faerie before exchanging his soul with that of a mortal. The Mists normally wipe a changeling’s mind clean between lives but a character with Remembrance occasionally has a flash of insight gained from a previous life’s experience. Any time the character interacts with changelings or other creatures and locations of the Dreaming, the player may roll Intelligence + Remembrance to recall details about the subject at hand. The difficulty varies based on the obscurity of the information. Something commonly known would require a difficulty 6, while remembering the location of a freehold lost since the Shattering would require a difficulty of 8. Additionally, the player may substitute Remembrance for an Ability on any roll involving a mundane task. This substitution may be made a number of times per story equal to the character’s Remembrance rating.
• Your memories are hazy when they’re triggered by an event.
•• You gain accurate information with a reminder.
••• You experience relevant flashbacks even without a reminder.
•••• You remember remarkable information, including major events.
••••• You clearly remember large swaths of your history including entire lifetimes.
Source(s): C20 Pg 170.

Retinue: Retinue are the Kinain, enchanted humans, and other retainers under a character’s sway. They answer to him due to loyalty, magical control, or mundane manipulation. They’ll follow his command to the best of their ability, though some would betray him if the opportunity presented itself, especially if he mistreats them or if they are bound to him against their will. While those who make up a character’s Retinue are his highly-skilled honor guard or personal attendants, they are not infallible. Nor are they nameless, disposable fodder. The player should define each member of his Retinue, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they came into his service. Players may spend pooled Background points on Retinue.
• Your retinue consists of one member.
•• Your retinue consists of two members.
••• Your retinue consists of four members.
•••• Your retinue consists of six members.
••••• Your retinue consists of 10 members.
Source(s): C20 Pg 170.

Title: Title denotes a character’s rank within Kithain society. Not all changelings possess a title, and few attain a station above esquire. Title by itself imparts little tangible power. The majority of nobles have no holdings. However, even a landless baron or duke wields tremendous social influence. Changelings are far more willing to trade favors with those in power, whether to further their own social mobility or because most titles, especially knighthood, are earned through skill and accomplishment. Sidhe are the most common kith to be awarded titles, but since the Treaty of Concord, it is not uncommon to see members of other kiths attain rank, usually as squires and knights. Any commoner inducted into the sphere of nobility gains the Boon and Flaw of the house that takes her in.
• You are a squire, squiress, or esquire.
•• You are a knight or lady.
••• You are a baron or baroness.
•••• You are a count or countess.
••••• You are a duke or duchess.
Source(s): C20 Pg 171.

Treasures: A Treasure is a mundane item imbued with Glamour. Like changelings, Treasures exist simultaneously in the Autumn Realm and the chimerical world. They are capable of specific magical abilities based on the Glamour fused within them. Usually, this is an Art bound into the Treasure, but occasionally a Treasure will form due to the overwhelming emotions connected with the object. A changeling cannot forget herself due to Banality as long as she is holding a Treasure. Likewise, mortals become enchanted when touched by a Treasure. For more information about Treasures, their creation, and examples, see Chapter Seven: The Dreaming.
• Common, rank one of an Art.
•• Uncommon, rank two of an Art.
••• Rare, rank three of an Art.
•••• Unique, rank four of an Art.
••••• Legendary, rank five of an Art.
Source(s): C20 Pg 171.

Pooling Backgrounds: Pooled Backgrounds are shared resources — they are the motley’s communal property. Members of the motley may wish to pool their Contacts, Holdings, Resources, or Retinue ratings in order to achieve greater things than they could individually. Anyone who contributes to the pooled Background points, whether a single dot or five, has equal access to the pooled Backgrounds.
Source(s): C20 Pg 171.

Changing Breeds 20th anniversary book:

Umbral Glade: A Gurahl with this Background possesses a Den which opens into a Glade in the Umbra, serving as a “mini-caern” or wellspring of Gnosis. The size and location of the Umbral Glade determines how much Gnosis is available for the resident Gurahl. If more than one Gurahl remains within the Glade in order to regain Gnosis, the total Gnosis available must be shared among those wishing to partake of it. In addition to providing Gnosis for the Gurahl, an Umbral Glade gives the werebear an instantaneous doorway into the Umbra without the need for a rite. • A 20 x 20 foot area, supplying one Gnosis per day.
•• A 50 x 50 foot area, supplying two Gnosis per day.
••• A 100 x 100 foot area, supplying three Gnosis per day.
•••• A 500 x 500 foot area, supplying four Gnosis per day.
••••• A 1,000 x 1,000 foot area, supplying five Gnosis per day.
Source: Pg 210.

Bastet only:
Den-Realm: The Bastet has built or acquired (either by inheritance or duel) her own Den-Realm, a sanctuary where she and the land have become one. In the Umbra, a Den-Realm resembles a Domain, one which other travelers cannot pass through without permission. The appearance of this Domain is up to the Bastet who owns the DenRealm — a proud Khan’s Den-Realm may resemble a maharaja’s fortress, while a Balam’s might resemble an impenetrable forest. A difficulty 8 Perception + Occult roll is necessary to recognize a Den-Realm for what it is, and penetrating its walls uninvited requires a roll as though the intruder were stepping sideways (difficulty 9). This automatically alerts the Bastet that an intruder is coming in. A werecat inside of his Den-Realm enjoys several benefits: He may step sideways at any time within his Den-Realm, against a Gauntlet of 3. A number of times per scene equal to his Gnosis rating, the Bastet may make a Gnosis roll (difficulty 6) to blink between two points in his Den-Realm without crossing the intervening space. Any attack on the Den-Realm (whether by banes in the Umbra or bulldozers in the Gaia Realm) registers as a cold bolt of pain in the werecat’s heart. The Bastet can freely peer through the Gauntlet from either side within her Den-Realm. Finally, the Bastet can lead any others she chooses across the Gauntlet while in her Den-Realm as though they were packmates.A Den-Realm’s rating determines how big it is. The first rating is for urban Den-Realms, while the second is for the much larger Den-Realms possible in the wilderness.
• The size of a house/one square mile.
•• The size of a mansion/two square miles.
••• A city block/five square miles.
•••• Two city blocks/10 square miles.
••••• Five city blocks/20 square miles.
Source: Pg 210.

Mokole Only:

Mnesis: Any Mokolé (even one without this Background) may place himself into a Mnesis quest — a sort of autohypnosis in which the character journeys deep into the halls of ancestral memory, much like the Umbral vision-quests of the Garou. Because a Mnesis quest can easily last for hours and renders the seeker oblivious to the outside world for its duration, most Mokolé will only enter Mnesis while in the safety of their wallows. The rating of the Background determines how far back the Mokolé may remember. 0 Roughly a century.
• Three to five hundred years.
•• Roughly a millennium.
••• The Impergium and the beginning of human civilization.
•••• The awakening of the mammalian shapeshifters.
••••• The time of the Dinosaur Kings.
Source: Pg 210-11.

Wallow: The Wallow Background means that you have ties to a Mokolé wallow, one with some history and other Mokolé residents. If you are a homid, this may be a village, rural homestead, or isolated island such as Komodo. If you are a suchid, it may be an ancient temple, jungle swamp, zoo, or gator farm. Any Allies, Contacts, or Kinfolk you may have likely live at the wallow. The wallow is a place where you can meditate to regain Gnosis in Sun’s light, hold gathers and perform rites. You may live there all the time; of course, if you don’t have Resources, your home might not be very luxurious.
• Apoorwallow.OneMokolé livesthereorperhaps only Kin.
•• No palace. A few Mokolé and Kin live there.
••• The wallow has lots of land (maybe a national park) or places to live.
•••• A nice place: a village, isolated creek, or lake.
••••• A temple, alligator farm, or large village.
Source: Pg 211.

Nagah only:

Ananta: A Nagah’s Ananta is similar to the Den-Realm of a Bastet, save that Nagah nests may pool their Background points to share a single Ananta, or each have their own personal Ananta (but not both; a wereserpent may only carry a single Ananta within herself at a time). The rating of this Background determines the Ananta’s size and ability to provide food and drink. In the physical world, the Ananta has almost no actual presence — only a small space nominated as a “doorway,” through which the Nagah may step sideways to enter the pocket-realm. This portal is invariably at the bottom of a river or other source of fresh water. Other Nagah are capable of sensing the presence of an Ananta’s doorway; it is otherwise undetectable. The difficulty to step into an Ananta is equal to the local Gauntlet, -1 for every two points in the Background (minimum difficulty 2). Ananta are invisible from the Umbra. An Ananta’s interior can resemble anything its owner desires. Once the wereserpent has created his (or his nest’s) Ananta, he may “swallow” it to move it from place to place at any time, and may regurgitate it at any future time. While the Ananta is within him, the Nagah may step sideways as the Garou do. However, if the Ananta is destroyed for any reason, each Nagah to which it belongs loses a permanent Gnosis point.
• A small and meagerly appointed Ananta. No refreshments are available.
•• A modest Ananta, roughly the size of a guest bedroom, with enough food and drink to entertain a visitor or two.
••• An Ananta well-suited to a nest, roughly the size of a townhouse or hotel suite, with enough food and drink for the whole nest. •••• Aspaciousnest, abouthouse-sized,withabundant food.
••••• A luxurious Ananta, the size of a small mansion, with gourmet delicacies for all.
Source Pg 211.

Fera Only:

Umbral Maps: The character possesses a wealth of experience and received information about Umbral navigation. These “Umbral maps” are not physical objects, but rather the collected lore of symbolic navigation among spirit paths, the entry methods for safe havens and refuges, the cycles of natural spirit paths, and reliable methods to bypass various obstacles along the way. This Background is normally the province of Corax and Nuwisha, though other Changing Breeds occasionally pick it up as well.
• A few safe paths and refuges. The character enjoys –1 difficulty to rolls to navigate the Umbra.
•• Several routes to common destinations. As Level One, plus once per story the character can re-roll a failed attempt to navigate through the Umbra.
••• Safe zones, routes to virtually any place, and knowledge of where not to go. –2 difficulty to rolls to navigate the Umbra, plus one re-roll per story.
•••• Several safe places and refuges, extensive knowledge of Umbral paths and dwellers in those areas. –2 difficulty to rolls to navigate the Umbra, plus two re-rolls per story.
••••• No one knows the Near Umbra like the character. –3 difficulty to rolls to navigate the Umbra, plus three re-rolls per story.
Source: Pg 212.

Fera + Shadow Lord Only:
Secrets: The character possesses information that would be considered desirable — or damaging — by someone else. While such knowledge can sometimes place the character in danger, mostly it gives her leverage and advantages. What the character does with these secrets (bartering them for favors or cash, using them to take down minions of the Wyrm, or something else entirely) is up to her. The player and Storyteller should work together to determine what sort of secrets the character possesses. The Background’s rating determines the value and number of secrets the character knows. This Background is normally the province of Corax and Bastet, though other Changing Breeds (and even the odd Shadow Lord!) occasionally pick it up as well.
• A small but noteworthy secret — a secret affair, a hidden sexual orientation, a minor crime.
•• A moderate secret. The human identities of a Garou pack, the whereabouts of a criminal on the run, a significant crime, or evidence of two Garou sleeping together. Alternately, a few minor secrets.
••• A substantial secret, or equivalent amount of lesser secrets. A matter of life and death or utter ruination for someone. The location of a lost fetish that someone needs to stay lost. The identity of a murderer of one or more Fera.
•••• A heavy secret, or equivalent amount of lesser secrets. The location of a national fugitive, a vampire’s “little black book” of contacts, the location of a Gurahl.
••••• An enormous secret, or equivalent amount of lesser secrets. A high-level Pentex plot. The location of a legendary cursed fetish. The secret weakness of an Incarna.
Source: Pg 212.

This category is for Fomori, Kami, Drones and Gorgons

Merits

GeneralSupernaturalVampireGhoulWerewolfKinfolkMagesChangelingsFeraPossessedBygonePsychic/Sorcerer

Merits and Flaws: Hunter's Hunted 2 Pg 123 - 5

Mental 

Isolated Upbringing (1pt. Flaw) You were raised by the Society of Leopold, either born to an Inquisitor or adopted by the Society at an early age. The Inquisition is all you know. The sanctity of your holy work is honed by a purity of skill, unclouded by distraction. Unfortunately, you have a limited understanding of the outside world. When in a non-Society setting, subtract one die from all Social dice pools. When field work takes you beyond the Inquisition’s walls, how will you react to all the new people, stimuli, and fellow hunters who are not so cloistered?

Religious Hysteria (3pt. Flaw) Angels and demons are everywhere! You see them. You note the signs of the Divine plan in every nuance of life. The entire world’s an omen! The Holy Ghost whispers in your ear constantly. Why do others not understand? Even your brothers and sisters in the faith shake their heads as your breathlessly elucidate your latest holy vision. The difference between this Flaw and the Ecstatic Merit (see below) is that people do not take you seriously. Your visions occur a bit too often, are a bit too untenable. Subtract one die from all Social dice pools.

Social

Ecclesial Rank (1-3pt. Merit) Though your status as an Inquisitor is a secret outside of the Society of Leopold, you are also an official member of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy. This Merit determines your standing, each point widening the scope of your service and influence. The one-point version grants you the rank of priest, presiding over one parish (and its deacons and laity). The twopoint version grants you the rank of Bishop, presiding over one diocese, consisting of many parishes (and their priests). The three-point version grants you the rank of Archbishop, presiding over several dioceses (and their bishops).

Sanctioned Witch (2pt. Merit) You are known as a “Judas Witch,” having received the Sanctuary of the Disciplina Arcani from the InquisitorGeneral herself. You cannot be punished or detained for occult study or the use of Numina (though the sanction can be revoked for misconduct). A tattoo of the Seal of Solomon, on the palm of your left hand, marks your credentials. This does not mean everyone in the Society trusts your expertise, as many despise the magic arts.

Rebel (1-3pt. Flaw) You have acquired some infamy in the Society of Leopold. At the one-point version of this Flaw, you might simply be scorned by your betters, who wait for you to slip up. At the two-point version, you are actively loathed and can expect little help. At the three-point version, there are Inquisitors who hate you as much as the supernaturals. You should work with the Storyteller to come up with the specific reason for this ill repute. Bear in mind, your reputation is relative among the divisions within the Inquisition. Some sects may embrace you just to spite their rivals. For example, while you might earn the ire of the Society at large by studying the sorcerous arts too closely, you might find acceptance, and even encouragement, from the Brethren of Albertus.

Merits and Flaws Hunter's Hunted Pg 132-3

Mental

Paranoid (2pt. Flaw) Too many years in the intelligence business means that you know that it’s only paranoia if they’re not out to get you. You’re suspicious of everything and everyone — you’d call for backup, but how can you be sure that they’re not in on it too? You pick up on innocuous details, each one providing more evidence for the conspiracy against you. Add one to the difficulty of all social interaction rolls. 

Siege Mentality (3pt. Flaw) The agency is your family and your only friends. You don’t trust civilians and amateurs to do what you see as your job, and politicians and lawmakers just get in your agency’s way. You’d trust other intelligence agencies if they’d just once prove that they could find their collective asses with a mirror and a flashlight. Your attitude has a number of cascading effects. First, you’re brash and domineering with “civilians,” whether that’s an FBI agent talking with local police, or a CIA operative dealing with a private intelligence company. Subtract two dice from all Empathy and Investigation dice pools when dealing with amateurs in your field. Second, you’re on edge around other members of the intelligence community, even though you’re supposed to be on the same side. Add one to the difficulty of all social interaction rolls with them. Finally, if the law gets in the way of your duty, you won’t think twice about breaking it. The Storyteller is encouraged to have your superiors rake you over the coals for your blatant disregard for procedure. 

Manchurian Candidate (5pt. Flaw) You’re the worst kind of double agent: one who doesn’t know he’s compromised. Some power unknown to you gave you a task, and you can’t help but carry it out. Your controller has programmed you to react to a specific signal — it could be a trigger word, a pattern of flashing lights, or a specific image. When you encounter your trigger, you’ll do whatever your master asked of you. Afterwards, you’ll remember up to the point where you encountered the signal — the rest is a blank. Common duties include spying on your own organization, destroying sensitive documents, assassinating a target named at the same time as the trigger, or stealing valuable equipment. Work with the Storyteller to come up with a signal and a duty. Optionally, you can let the Storyteller work out the details of what you’re up to. At some point she will describe your trigger, and you have no knowledge of what happens between that point and when you come around. The Storyteller may leave what happens when you’re triggered a mystery — or might have the other characters encounter you when you’re programmed. Work with her to portray your character in his brainwashed state. The brainwashing is strong enough that even supernatural powers may not sway your character from his task.

Social 

Inter-Agency Liaison (2pt. Merit) You work for two agencies at the same time. Either you’re a liaison officer between the two agencies — Homeland Security provides a handy cover for the CIA or NSA to poke their noses into the FBI and vice versa — or your current employers don’t know who you really work for. Either way, you can draw on the intelligence and resources of both agencies when you need to. You must purchase the Rank Background for each agency separately, and your Rank at your “home” agency must be equal to or greater than your Rank at your new agency. 

Sanction (2pt. Merit) Your agency has given you a limited sanction to deploy lethal force against specific named targets. They will hold you responsible for any additional deaths, and won’t hesitate to revoke your sanction if you’re too sloppy. This authority is extremely rare — the CIA authorizes some killings in foreign territories, and a shadowy group high up in the FBI uses it to eliminate potential domestic terrorists. As long as you do as they tell you, your agency provides weapons and equipment (within reason) and will cover your tracks once the job is done. Despite popular perception, this isn’t a “license to kill” — murdering people is still illegal even with the backing of an intelligence agency, and you could be prosecuted for murder if caught. 

Embedded Agent (3pt. Merit) You’re an accepted member of your intelligence agency, despite any weird side-project you work on. You might be an FBI agent with a sterling record who happens to moonlight for SAD, or an NSA intelligence analyst who just happens to spend a couple of weeks each quarter monitoring chaoscope reports. Because you spend more time around “normal” agents, they accept you as one of their own. Add a bonus die to any Empathy, Leadership, or Investigation rolls when dealing with other members of your agency. You’re also the last person anyone would think to name as a “monster hunter,” which keeps you under the radar of otherwise well-informed supernatural creatures. 

Non-Standard Access (3pt. Merit) Everyone working for one of the US Government’s alphabet soup of agencies has access to information not available to the public, but you’re privy to secrets that are way above your pay grade. Maybe someone in the Pentagon owes you his life, or you just find files in an old dead-drop. Once per story, the Storyteller will ensure that you receive classified information useful to your current operation. The information is always useful and accurate, but not necessarily complete. Though it’s dangerous to explain how you came by your new knowledge, your informant is confidential and you haven’t yet suffered a leak. 

Credulous (3 or 5pt. Flaw) You believe in monsters and conspiracies, and your fellow agents know it. This credulous reputation makes you a liability — no matter how much of the truth you actually know. With the three-point version of this Flaw you’re still a field agent, but your fellow agents either ignore you or openly mock you. Subtract one die from all Empathy, Investigation, or Leadership rolls when dealing with members of the intelligence community. If a supernatural creature is looking for a scapegoat, your name is top of the list. With the five-point version of this Flaw, you’re on your way out. You’ve got a make-work assignment — maybe a feasibility study for building a wall along the Canadian border, or listening for intelligence coming out of the New Zealand field office. You won’t get any backup, and if you continue to make trouble (by, say, investigating supernatural creatures), people high up in your agency’s food chain will arrange an accident to shut you up permanently. 

Asset 

Backup Identity (3pt. Merit) Most agents build up one or two cover identities, replete with backgrounds and supporting documents. You’ve gone one further, and got a cover identity that your agency doesn’t know about. Your backup identity has a full set of documents, including a social security card and a passport, a bank account, and even owns a small apartment. Unlike most cover identities, nothing links you and your backup identity, meaning it can come in very handy when you need to work off the record, and as a get-out card when things get hairy. This Merit just provides documentation and a guarantee that intelligence agencies don’t know about your alter ego. You still need the Alternate Identity Background if you want to play the part effectively.

Supernatural

Ecstatic (2pt. Merit)

You are prone to fits of religious ecstasy — stigmata, glossalia (speaking in tongues), visions, and trances. This is a Merit of dubious benefit. While some may distrust you as a religious hysteric, you find high regard among others of the faith as one “touched by God.” Add one die to any Social dice pools when interacting with the Society (and possibly others with similar spiritual beliefs).

Ecumenist (4pt. Merit)

The Holy Spirit “bloweth where it listeth.” You understand this. You see the fractal reflections of your God in other religions, and you remain humble in knowing how little of the divine you can know. Where others must brandish the holy symbols of their tradition when using True Faith, you see the supernal spark at the core of beliefs beyond your own, and you are able to use their religious icons and holy ground when confronting the supernatural. Likewise, in your presence, a group of individuals from different religions may pool their True Faith for greater effect. Such a communal pool requires only one person with this Merit. You can be the bridge that connects all faiths as brothers and sisters in the long, dark night of the soul.

Fist of God (7pt. Merit) Some call you “Witch-Hammer,” for your naked hands do grievous hurt to the children of the elder night. All your Brawling damage is considered aggravated against supernaturals. Work with the Storyteller to create a good reason for this rare effect, and how it developed. Only mortals with Humanity of seven or higher may purchase (or keep) this Merit.

Holy Aura (2pt. Merit) No matter the color, your aura burns as a brilliant beacon of religious devotion. Even mortals who cannot see auras are drawn to your presence. Subtract one from the difficulty of all social interaction rolls. Some supernaturals will find this a positive aspect; others, particularly the Kindred, may likely be hostile toward you. Many will believe you possess great power (regardless of the truth).

Paradise Lost (2pt. Flaw) You once had the True Faith that could light the night. It is now extinguished. This is not the simple loss of an advantage, but a gaping wound of the soul. You know what it was like to be seen in the light of the divine, but now stumble outside the sight of God and drown in the corpse-cold murk of doubts, an ever-flowing river with no end in sight. Whenever you are confronted with this loss (holding a holy symbol, asked to perform a miracle, entering a church, etc.), make a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) or lose one die on all actions for the scene, as sorrow seizes you. A botched Willpower roll consumes a Willpower point and opens you to despair. Indulging a vice (alcohol, drugs, pornography, etc.) can replenish Willpower points lost in this way. This Flaw can be earned mid-chronicle with a loss of True Faith, or it can be taken at character creation as part of a tragic backstory, possibly initiating a redemption tale of faith regained.

Asset

Occult Library (2- or 4-pt. Merit) Your character owns an estimable collection of works on arcane lore. If he has access to his library, you can lower the difficulty of Intelligence-, Occult-, or research-related rolls by 1 when he’s attempting to solve an occult mystery or generally learn more about the occult. Having this library doesn’t automatically mean the hunter’s an occult expert, it just means he has convenient access to some knowledge. If you have purchased the four-point version of this Merit, your character also has an Occult Laboratory stocked with strange and rare ingredients he might need for his Numina rituals.

Hunter's Hunted 2: Pg 43.

Science Laboratory (2-pt. Merit) Your character has access to a fully stocked laboratory with functional scientific apparatuses and research equipment. When she has access to her laboratory, your character can perform experiments, run tests, and collect data, and you may lower your difficulty by 2 for relevant Investigation or Science rolls, or lower the difficulty by 1 for other appropriate rolls (as determined by the Storyteller) while she uses the equipment.

Hunter's Hunted 2: Pg 43.

Clear-Sighted (3-pt. Merit) Your character is not easily fooled by illusions. When faced with a supernatural illusion, such as those created by Obfuscate, Chimerstry, and the like, you may make a Perception + Alertness roll (difficulty equal to the opposing power’s level +3) for your character to see through the effect.

Hunter's Hunted 2: Pg 44.

Poisonous Blood (5-pt. Merit) Due to mysterious circumstances, your character’s blood is poisonous to vampires. Should a vampire drink from him, every blood point imbibed causes one health level of bashing damage to her. Vampires naturally resent mortals known to possess this blessing and may well seek their destruction. Storytellers are encouraged to have an explanation for this aberration in their chronicles, though the player (and likely character) may not be immediately privy to such knowledge. Some examples include holy protection from a higher power, a rare ritual of protection, or even a genetic abnormality.

Hunter's Hunted 2: Pg 44.

Sanctuary (5-pt. Merit) Your character has a safe house that is a true sanctuary. Supernatural creatures require a successful Willpower check (difficulty 9) in order to enter her home without an invitation. It might be due some strange mystical occurrence, luck, a forgotten ritual, or perhaps your character’s house stands on consecrated ground. This Merit must be assigned to a single building in which the character has a permanent residence. Good examples of a sanctuary might be a house, a small apartment building, or a church.

Hunter's Hunted 2: Pg 44.

Psychic Feedback (1-, 2-, or 6-pt. Flaw) Your character is gifted with potent Psychic Numina, but the use of these powers tires her. Your character sometimes even experiences minor cerebral hemorrhages from the strain of using her power. With the one-point Flaw, your hunter experiences headaches or dizziness from each use of power. During stressful or taxing situations, the Storyteller may require a Stamina + Awareness roll (difficulty 7). If this rolls fails, the character experiences a brief state of pain or disorientation. All actions performed during her next turn have their difficulties increased by 2. With the two-point Flaw, your character experiences minor pain from the use of her power. After she activates a power, you must roll Intelligence + Awareness (difficulty 6) against the number of successes obtained while rolling to activate the power. If you gain fewer successes on the Intelligence + Awareness roll than on the power’s activation roll, the difference is treated as levels of bashing damage. With the six-point Flaw, your character suffers the same effect as per the two-point flaw, but the damage is lethal, though the Intelligence + Awareness roll is still allowed.

Hunter's Hunted 2: Pg 44-5.

Unsettling Effect (1- or 3-pt. Flaw) Numina powers are often unnoticeable. However, something about your character’s Numina causes others to recognize that there’s something weird going on. With the one-point flaw, she has a single intangible power (such as Telepathy or Psychometry) that generates a noticeable, perceptible effect. Perhaps subjects can feel the character paging through their minds, or maybe everyone around the psychic feels a swell of eerie emotions when she touches a resonant object. With the three-point flaw, all of your character’s intangible powers (including ones that she learns later) have some sort of unsettling effect, likely united by a shared “signature” or style of effect.

Hunter's Hunted 2: Pg 45.

Psi Focus (3- or 5-pt. Flaw) Your character finds it impossible to use his Psychic Numina without the aid of a focus; he requires some aid or trigger to properly direct his powers. For three points, the character must gesture or speak a phrase or incantation for the power to work. For five points, the power requires a physical focus to function (such as crystals, a hypnotist’s pocket watch, or a “lucky coin”).

Hunter's Hunted 2: Pg 45.

Merits and Flaws 141-2

Physical 

Aging (3pt. Flaw) You are not as spry as you used to be. Lower one Physical Attribute score (your choice) by one point. An Attribute cannot go below one with this Flaw. You may take this Flaw at 40 years old and once again per decade after.

Mental

Cultural Chameleon (2pt. Merit) You’re able to quickly pick up on social cues, local customs, phrases, modes of dress, and other little things particular about a place. If you’re able to address those (can change your clothes, able to speak the language, etc.), anyone attempting to discern if you don’t belong there suffer a two die penalty. Either way, you receive two extra dice for any action to find others who don’t belong somewhere.

Social 

Research Grant (2pt. Merit) You have a prestigious research grant from some university or research center. This frees you from the burden of needing a regular job. The grant provides a minimal stipend (from $1500 to $2000 a month in most cases), as well as credentials which grant access to exclusive libraries and research centers around the world.

Supernatural

Clear Sighted (5pt. Merit) You can see through all levels of Kindred Obfuscate, Chimerstry, and other related Disciplines or supernatural power, with a Perception + Alertness roll against the opposing power’s level + 3.

Innocent (1pt. Merit) You are always thought of in the most positive light, unless evidence exists to prove otherwise. If you do something wrong and the act is not easily attributed to you, it will most likely be blamed on someone else. This does not mean that you are “an innocent” — it just means everyone thinks you are.

Merits Hunter's Hunted Pg 151

Mental Sense Influence (3pt. Merit) Through training and working with other experienced hunters, you have the ability to buy the Awareness Skill. Further, you can get a sense that someone is controlled by some supernatural influence or ghostly presence with a Perception + Awareness roll, difficulty 8. 

Social 

Thugs (1pt. Merit) When you purchase the Allies merit, you are acquiring hard-core members of the underworld rather than ordinary members of lawful society. Your Allies may be gang members, mafiosos, or members of your organized crime syndicate. Unlike normal Allies, these individuals are willing to pick fights with other mortals, murder innocents, intimidate locals, temporarily lock down an area of the city, or even commit crimes on your behalf. 

Legacy (2pt. Merit) Your character comes from a lineage of hunters; either a family responsibility has been passed down, or your character is considered a “successor” to a particularly famous or successful hunter of the past. When you purchase the Contacts background, you may double the number of specific contacts you receive for each dot. Alternatively, you can purchase the Artifact or Reliquary Background to reflect a powerful heirloom. 

Supernatural 

Dead Zone (2pt. Merit) Your exposure to death on a regular basis makes it difficult for ghosts to notice that you exist. You are considered to have one dot of Obfuscate (which works in the lands of the dead as well) against wraiths, spectres, and other such beings.

Physical
Acute Sense (1pt. Merit): One of your senses is exceptionally sharp, be it sight, hearing, smell, touch, or taste. The difficulties for all tasks involving the use of this particular sense are reduced by two. This Merit can be combined with the Discipline of Auspex to produce superhuman sensory acuity.
Source(s): V20 Pg 479-80.

Ambidextrous (1pt. Merit): You have a high degree of off-hand dexterity and can perform tasks with the “wrong” hand at no penalty. The rules for taking multiple actions still apply, but you do not suffer a difficulty penalty if you use two weapons or are forced to use your off hand.
Source(s): V20 Pg 480.

Bruiser (1pt. Merit): Your appearance is sufficiently thug-like to inspire fear (or at least disquiet) in those who see you. While you’re not necessarily ugly, you do radiate a quiet menace, to the point where people cross the street to avoid passing near you. All Intimidation rolls against those who have not demonstrated their physical superiority to you are at -1 difficulty.
Source(s): V20 Pg 480.

Catlike Balance (1pt. Merit): You possess an innately perfect sense of balance. Characters with this Merit reduce difficulties of all balance-related rolls (e.g., Dexterity + Athletics to walk along a narrow ledge) by two.
Source(s): V20 Pg 480.

Friendly Face (1pt. Merit): You have a face that reminds everyone of someone, to the point where strangers are inclined to be wellinclined toward you because of it. The effect doesn’t fade even if you explain the “mistake,” leaving you at -1 difficulty on all appropriate Social-based rolls (yes for Seduction, no for Intimidation, for example) when a stranger is involved. This Merit only functions on a first meeting.
Source(s): V20 Pg 480.

Daredevil (3pt. Merit): You are good at taking risks, and even better at surviving them. When attempting exceptionally risky non-combat actions (such as leaping from one moving car to another), characters with this Merit add an additional three dice to their rolls, and negate a single botch die that may result from such a roll. Generally, such actions must be at least difficulty 8 and have the potential to inflict at least three health levels of damage if failed.
Source(s): V20 Pg 480.

Huge Size (4pt. Merit): You are abnormally large in size, at least 6’10” and 300 pounds in weight (well over two meters tall and over 130 kgs). Aside from making you extremely noticeable in public, this extra mass bestows an additional Bruised health level. Characters with this Merit may also gain bonuses to push objects, open barred doors, avoid being knocked down, etc.
Source(s): V20 Pg 480.

Mental

Detached (4-pt. Merit) Your hunter has the rare ability to view his psychic abilities as separate from his physical existence and can maintain this distance even under adverse conditions. Wound penalties don’t affect the use of Psychic Numina until your character reaches Incapacitated. If he’s Incapacitated, then you may spend a Willpower point to use a Psychic Numina power at half the normal dice pool (rounded down). This action may be performed only once per scene, after which the character falls unconscious, so choose last-ditch efforts carefully. Note: This Merit may be used in conjunction only with Psychic Numina.

Hunter's Hunted 2: Pg 42.

Black and White (1-pt. Flaw) The world is really a collection of shades of gray, but your character doesn’t see it that way. To her, everything is clear as black and white. She thinks in terms of people being either for or against her, hot or cold, good or evil, easy or impossible, stupid or genius. This closed mindset can cost your character dearly in missed opportunities, misunderstandings, and under- or overestimation of others. In social situations where your character’s judgmental perspective comes to bear, the difficulties of associated rolls increase by one.

Hunter's Hunted 2: Pg 42.

Combat Novice (2-pt. Flaw) Your character might talk a good game, but he’s never been around real violence, and when it happens, he’s not likely to respond well. When confronted with gunfire; obvious, brutal combat (blood drawn, stab wounds, bones breaking); or any kind of supernatural violence, roll Willpower (difficulty 7). If this roll fails, the character either freezes in place (if his Courage is higher than his Self-Control) or flees the area (if his Self-Control is higher than his Courage). You must make this roll for every scene in which he witnesses a violent occurrence, but if you accumulate five successes, no further rolls need be made for that night of game time. An especially gory show of violence can reset the character’s total, however, at the Storyteller’s discretion.

Hunter's Hunted 2: Pg 42.

Addicted to Vampire Blood (3-pt. Flaw) Your character constantly needs the rush that only vampire blood can provide her. She feels empty and listless otherwise. This habit is a very dangerous one and can only be overcome via complete abstention (and likely no small amount of therapy). Anytime your character has access to Kindred vitae and wishes to resist the urge to drink, the Storyteller may require a Self-Control roll. If your character has not tasted vampire blood in over a week, you suffer a progressive +1 difficulty to these rolls until she quenches her thirst.

Hunter's Hunted 2: Pg 42-3.

Physical Flaw

Hemophiliac (3-pt. Flaw) Your character suffers from hemophilia. If she is cut, she will not stop bleeding without medical help. If your hunter suffers lethal or aggravated damage, she suffers an additional level of bashing damage every five minutes until her wound has been dressed to stop the bleeding. Any vampire who bites her may “dress” such wounds and end the ongoing bashing damage by licking the injury after he bites her.

Hunter's Hunted 2: Pg 43.

Coldly Logical (1pt. Merit): While some might refer to you as a “cold fish,” you have a knack for separating factual reporting from emotional or hysterical coloration. You may or may not be emotional yourself, but you can see clearly when others are clouding the facts with their feelings (-1 difficulty on all related rolls).
Source(s): V20 Pg 484.

Common Sense (1pt. Merit): You have a significant amount of practical, everyday wisdom. Whenever you are about to act in a way contrary to common sense, the Storyteller can make suggestions or warnings about the implications of said action. This is a very useful Merit for beginning players unfamiliar with the game.
Source(s): V20 Pg 484.

Concentration (1pt. Merit): You have the ability to focus your mind and shut out any distractions or annoyances. Characters with this Merit are unaffected by any penalties stemming from distracting circumstances (e.g., loud noises, strobe lights, or hanging upside down).
Source(s): V20 Pg 484.

Introspection (1pt. Merit): You have keen insight into the ulterior motives of all your actions. Through this nightly exercise, you also have incredible insight into the underlying motives of others’ actions. Add two dice to your Perception dice pool when you must take an action against someone with the same Nature or Demeanor as you.
Source(s): V20 Pg 484.

Time Sense (1pt. Merit): You have an innate sense of time and are able to estimate the passage of time accurately without using a watch or other mechanical device.
Source(s): V20 Pg 484.

Code of Honor (2pt. Merit): You have a personal code of ethics to which you adhere. The specifics of this code must be worked out with the Storyteller prior to play, and the character must follow it strictly. Characters with this Merit gain two additional dice to all Willpower or Virtue rolls when acting in accordance with their code (e.g., defending the helpless) or when attempting to avoid situations that might force them to violate their code.
Source(s): V20 Pg 484.

Computer Aptitude (2pt. Merit): You are familiar with and talented in the uses of computer equipment. Other Kindred may not understand computers, but to you they are intuitive. All rolls involving computers are at -2 difficulty for you.
Source(s): V20 Pg 484.

Eidetic Memory (2pt. Merit): You remember, with perfect detail, things you see and hear. Documents, photographs, conversations, etc., can be committed to memory with only minor concentration. Under stressful conditions involving numerous distractions, you must make a Perception + Alertness roll (difficulty 6) to summon enough concentration to absorb what your senses detect.
Source(s): V20 Pg 484.

Natural Linguist (2pt. Merit): You have a flair for languages. You may add three dice to any dice pool involving written or spoken languages, and each purchase of the Language Merit (previous page) gives you two languages instead of just one.
Source(s): V20 Pg 485.

Social
Harmless (1pt. Merit): Everyone in the city knows you, and knows that you’re no threat to their plans. While that sort of estimation may seem insulting, it’s also what’s kept you from being killed. No one considers you worth their time to deal with, and that low opinion keeps you safe. If you start acting in a way that demonstrates that you are no longer harmless, others’ reactions to you will likely change as a result.
Source(s): V20 Pg 487.

Natural Leader (1pt. Merit):You are gifted with a certain magnetism to which others naturally defer. You receive two extra dice when making Leadership rolls. You must have a Charisma rating of 3 or greater to purchase this Merit.
Source(s): V20 Pg 487-8.

Supernatural
Lucky (3pt. Merit): You were born lucky — or else the Devil looks after his own. Either way, you may repeat any three failed rolls per story, including botches, but you may try only once per failed roll. Source(s): V20 Pg 493.

Oracular Ability (3pt. Merit): You can see and interpret signs and omens. You are able to draw advice from these omens, for they provide hints of the future and warnings of the present. When the Storyteller feels that you are in position to see an omen, you will be required to make a Perception + Awareness roll, with the difficulty relative to how well the omen is concealed. If successful, you may then roll Intelligence + Occult to interpret what you have seen; the difficulty is again relative to the complexity of the omen.
Source(s): V20 Pg 493.

Spirit Mentor (3pt. Merit): You have a ghostly companion and guide. The identity and exact powers of this spirit are up to the Storyteller, but it can be called upon in difficult situations for help and guidance.
Source(s): V20 Pg 493.

True Love (4pt. Merit): You have discovered, perhaps too late, a true love. He or she is mortal, but is the center of your existence, and inspires you to keep going in a world of darkness and despair. Whenever you suffer, the thought of your true love gives you the strength to persevere. This Merit grants you one automatic success on all Willpower rolls, which can be negated only by a botch die. This can be a great gift but also a hindrance, for your true love may require protection and occasionally rescue.
Source(s): V20 Pg 493-4.

Physical

Early Riser (1pt. Merit): No one can explain it, but you seem to have the ability to work on less rest than your fellow vampires. You always seem to be the first to rise and the last to go to bed even if you’re been out until dawn. Your Humanity or Path score is considered to be 10 for purposes of deciding when you rise each evening. Vampires with this Merit cannot take the Deep Sleeper Flaw.
Source(s): V20 Pg 480.

Eat Food (1pt. Merit): You have the capacity to eat food and even savor its taste. While you cannot derive any nourishment from eating regular foods, this ability will serve you well in pretending to be human. Of course, you can’t digest what you eat, and there will be some point during the evening when you have to heave it back up.
Source(s): V20 Pg 480.

Blush of Health (2pt. Merit): You look more hale and healthy in appearance than other vampires, allowing you to blend with human society much more easily. You still retain the color of a living mortal, and your skin feels only slightly cool to the touch.
Source(s): V20 Pg 480.

Enchanting Voice (2pt. Merit): There is something about your voice that others cannot ignore. When you command, they are cowed. When you seduce, they swoon. Whether thundering, soothing, persuading, or simply talking, your voice commands attention. The difficulties of all rolls involving the use of the voice to persuade, charm, or command are reduced by two.
Source(s): V20 Pg 480.

Efficient Digestion (3pt. Merit): You are able to draw more than the usual amount of nourishment from blood. When feeding, you gain an additional point to your blood pool for every two points of blood you consume. This does not allow you to exceed your blood pool maximum.
Source(s): V20 Pg 480.

Mental

Useful Knowledge (1pt. Merit): You have expertise in a specific field that makes your conversation intriguing to an older Kindred. So long as your knowledge holds the other vampire’s attention, he has a vested interest in keeping you around. Then again, once he’s pumped you for every iota of information you possess, that patronage may suddenly vanish. (Note: This Merit should be played like a 1-dot Mentor with a specific interest. However, unlike a Mentor, Useful Knowledge does not imply a permanent relationship.)
Source(s): V20 Pg 484.

Light Sleeper (2pt. Merit): You can awaken instantly at any sign of trouble or danger, and do so without any sleepiness or hesitation. You may ignore rules regarding how Humanity or your morality Path restricts the number of dice available during the day. Source(s): V20 Pg 485.

Calm Heart (3pt. Merit): You are naturally calm and do not easily fly off the handle. You receive two extra dice when attempting to resist a frenzy. Brujah may not take this Merit.
Source(s): V20 Pg 485.

Iron Will (3pt. Merit): When you are determined and your mind is set, nothing can thwart you from your goals. Characters using Dementation, Dominate, or any other mind-altering magic, spell, or Thaumaturgy path against your character are at +3 difficulty. Elder levels of powers like Dementation and Dominate may overwhelm even this resistance. Against Level Six powers, the expenditure of a Willpower point through Iron Will only raises the difficulty of the Discipline roll by two. Against Level Seven powers, the difficulty is increased by only one. Level Eight and higher powers cannot be resisted with Iron Will. This Merit does not affect Presence or other powers dealing with the emotions. Characters will Willpower scores below 8 cannot take this Merit. Source(s): V20 Pg 485.

Social

Elysium Regular (1pt. Merit): You spend an unusual amount of time in Elysium. You see and are seen to such an extent that all of the movers and shakers of Elysium at least know who you are. Extended time spent in Elysium also gives you extended opportunities to interact with the Harpies and other Kindred of that stature — and they’ll know your name when you approach them. This Merit is generally taken by vampires that respect and attend Elysium on a regular basis.
Source(s): V20 Pg 487.

Former Ghoul (1pt. Merit): You were introduced to the Blood long before you were made Kindred. Your long experience as a ghoul gives you insight into and comfort with vampiric society. You are at -1 difficulty on all Social rolls when in the presence of other neonates (particularly those who haven’t been educated by their sires), and have a -1 difficulty on all rolls relating to vampiric knowledge.
Source(s): V20 Pg 487.

Prestigious Sire (1pt. Merit): Your sire has or had great status in her Sect or Clan, and this has accorded you a certain amount of prestige. Though your sire may no longer have any dealings with you, the simple fact of your ancestry has marked you forever. This prestige might aid you greatly in dealings with other vampires, or it might engender jealousy or contempt.
Source(s): V20 Pg 488.

Protégé (1pt. Merit): Your sire watched you for some time before Embracing you, and spoke glowingly of you to acquaintances. These vampires may be inclined to look favorably on you by dint of your sire’s recommendation; you are at -1 difficulty on Social rolls with all those who’ve heard good things about you.
Source(s): V20 Pg 488.

Rep (1pt. Merit): Your fame has exceeded the bounds of your Sect. Everyone knows who you are, what you’ve done and what you’re supposed to have done (which might not be the same thing). The publicity can be good or bad; what matters is that everybody knows your name. Whether individuals outside of your immediate social circle know enough to match your face to your name is a different matter.
Source(s): V20 Pg 488.

Sabbat Survivor (1pt. Merit): HEAVILY RESTRICTED Ask Your Storyteller - You’ve lived through at least one Sabbat attack or attempted recruitment. Your experience helps you anticipate situations where you might potentially be endangered by the Sabbat once again. You are at -1 difficulty on all Perception rolls when it comes to Sabbat-based matters. This Merit is generally taken by groups in conflict with the Sabbat, and comes into play most frequently as a means of avoiding ambushes.
Source(s): V20 Pg 488.

Boon (1-6pt. Merit): Someone owes you a favor. The vampire in your debt might be the lowliest neonate in the city or might be the Prince herself; it all depends on how many points the Merit costs. You only have that single favor owed you (unless you take the Merit multiple times), so using it properly is of paramount importance. Depending on status and other factors, the vampire who owes you a favor may well resent his debt, and might go out of his way to “settle” it early — even going so far as to create situations from which he must “rescue” you and thus clear the slate.
Source(s): V20 Pg 488.

Bullyboy (2pt. Merit): You’re part of the brute squad the local Sheriff or Bishop calls on when he needs some muscle. As a result, you get in on action that others miss entirely, score points with those in power, and occasionally get a chance to act outside of the law. How far outside the law you can go depends on circumstance and how much the vampire you report to likes you.
Source(s): V20 Pg 488.

Old Pal (2pt. Merit): An acquaintance from your breathing days was Embraced at the same time you were. Fortunately, your friendship has endured even death and unlife, and you find a constant source of support and aid in your old friend. She expects the same of you, which isn’t always convenient, but at least you each have someone to hang onto who remembers the good old nights — and days. The Storyteller should play the Old Pal as a very loyal Ally.
Source(s): V20 Pg 488.

Lawman’s Friend (2pt. Merit): For whatever reason (maybe your winning smile or perhaps just your superb groveling technique), the local Sheriff or Bishop in charge of discipline likes you. He’s inclined to overlook your minor trespasses and let you in on things you’re not supposed to know about. He even gives you warnings about occasional crackdowns and times when the higher-ups aren’t feeling generous. Of course, abusing this connection might well turn a friendly vampire into an enemy — and the change might not be apparent until it’s too late.
Source(s): V20 Pg 488.

Open Road (2pt. Merit): Unlike many Kindred, you like to travel. You have a solid knowledge of safe travel routes and methodologies, not to mention haven space available in any number of destinations. Unless someone out there knows your exact route and is specifically looking for you, you can move between cities unimpeded by random encounters with Lupines, overzealous state troopers, and the like.
Source(s): V20 Pg 488.

Peacemaker (2-pt. Merit): RESTRICTED Anarchs Only - You have a reputation for having a good head on your shoulders and the honor to keep your word no matter what. As a result, your allies and sectmates ask you to mediate their disputes, even with other sects. This Merit allows your character to use her reputation as leverage to keep the peace during tense situations. Reduce the difficulty of all social rolls to keep the peace or to mediate honestly between factions (even other sects) by 2.
Source: Anarchs Unbound for V20 Pg 102.

Prized Patch (2-pt. Merit): RESTRICTED Anarchs Only - You belong to an Anarch gang with a violent, effective, or otherwise impressive reputation. The history of the gang might extend a hundred years before you were born, but so long as you hold membership and wear the colors of your crew, other Anarchs naturally tend to respect you. Some may even occasionally perform minor tasks for you to try to curry favor with the others. When your membership is known, reduce the difficulty of all Manipulation rolls with other Anarchs by 2 unless a given Anarch has a historical animosity with your gang.
Source: Anarchs Unbound for V20 Pg 102.

Sanctity (2pt. Merit): This Merit is sometimes called the halo effect; everyone considers you pure and innocent, though not necessarily naïve. You have a saint-like quality that is hard to pinpoint but cannot be denied. You are trusted, even if you are not trustworthy. At the Storyteller’s discretion, you tend to receive lesser punishments for wrongdoing, and you are liked by most.
Source(s): V20 Pg 488.

Scholar of Enemies (2pt. Merit): You have taken the time to learn about and specialize in one particular enemy of your Sect. You are aware of at least some of the group’s customs, strategies, abilities, and long-term goals, and can put that knowledge to good use. This Merit is worth a -2 difficulty for all non-combat rolls pertaining specifically to the subject of your specialization. On the other hand, you are at a +1 difficulty when it comes to dealing with other enemies, simply because you’re so thoroughly focused on your field.
Source(s): V20 Pg 489.

Scholar of Others (2pt. Merit): This Merit functions identically to Scholar of Enemies, except that it applies to a group that is not necessarily inimical to your Sect.
Source(s): V20 Pg 489.

Friend of the Underground (3pt. Merit): While you’re not a Nosferatu, you know your way around the sewers, tunnels, ducts, subway tubes, and other subterranean passages of your hometown. The local Nosferatu (and any other creatures dwelling down in the muck) may not actually like you, but they’re not inclined to kill you on sight when they see you in their territory. You are at -1 difficulty on any rolls involving the subterranean world (sneaking from place to place underground, finding routes into sub-basements, and so on). Nosferatu cannot purchase this Merit.
Source(s): V20 Pg 489.

Mole (3pt. Merit): You have an informer buried in one of your Sect’s enemy organizations who funnels you all sorts of information as to what her peers are up to. What you do with the information is up to you, but abusing the knowledge might be a good way to get your informer killed. The other side has spies too….
Source(s): V20 Pg 489.

Rising Star (3pt. Merit): RESTRICTED Only applies to NPCs - You’re one of the up-and-comers in the city, a rising star in your Sect. Everyone wants to know you and be your friend, even as those in power groom you for positions of greater responsibility. You are at -1 difficulty on all Social rolls against any vampires in your Sect who aren’t actively opposing your ascent.
Source(s): V20 Pg 489.

Soapbox (3-pt. Merit): RESTRICTED Anarchs Only - You have some sort of special forum (a zine, a secure blog, a well-known podcast, or a social media account with a lot of followers) that allows your Anarch to express an opinion and have said opinion spread widely. The Soapbox Merit represents a social delivery mechanism that can influence Kindred outside of your character’s normal social circle or class. Reduce the difficulty of Expression and Subterfuge rolls by 2 difficulty when dealing with vampires who read the Soapbox.
Source: Anarchs Unbound for V20 Pg 102.

Sugar Daddy (3-pt. Merit): RESTRICTED Ask Your Storyteller - You have a personal relationship with a high-ranking member of a different sect. You may invoke your Sugar Daddy’s name to lower the difficulty of Manipulation rolls by 2 against members of that sect when attempting to smooth out problems or acquire minor favors. Of course, the Sugar Daddy may expect similar treatment in kind, and is unlikely to look favorably on any behavior that impugns whatever status he may have.
Source: Anarchs Unbound for V20 Pg 102.

Broken Bond (4pt. Merit): HEAVILY RESTRICTED Ask Your Storyteller - You were once blood-bound but have secretly slipped the leash, and you are free to act as you will once more. Your regnant has no idea that you are not in fact bound, and continues to treat you as if you were. At Storyteller discretion, the experience of having been bound once may render you immune to ever being enthralled again. Sabbat vampires cannot take this Merit.
Source(s): V20 Pg 489.

Clan Friendship (4pt. Merit): One particular Clan (not your own) has a special liking for you. You might have done the Clan as a whole a favor at some point, or perhaps you’re just a loud voice in support of their aims. Whatever the case, you’re at -2 difficulty on all friendly Social rolls involving members of the Clan in question. Of course, the reaction your cozy relationship with another Clan is likely to draw from your own Clan leaders is an entirely different can of worms.
Source(s): V20 Pg 489.

Primogen/Bishop Friendship (4pt. Merit): RESTRICTED Ask Your Storyteller The ruling vampires of the city value you and your opinions. You are called in to consult on decisions, and your recommendations carry great weight. Your position may not be an official one, but it’s powerful nonetheless.
Source(s): V20 Pg 489.

Trophy Allegiance (4 pt. Merit): Similar to the Clan Friendship Merit (pg. 489, V20) Trophy Allegiance opens doors and allows the character to be treated favorably by a specific Clan. The character has earned the Trophy from the Clan in question for taking down one of the Anathema. Word has spread throughout that Clan, that members should offer assistance and rewards to the character for their deed. While the Trophy itself has likely already been covered with specific rewards, this Social Merit reflects more of a general goodwill and offers the character -2 difficulty on all friendly Social rolls involving members of the Trophy Clan who are familiar with the Alastor’s deeds. Additionally, the character’s reputation may earn her the occasional small favor such as the use of a haven, a loaner car, access to information from Trophy Clan members. Note: This Merit is only available to Alastor characters who have killed an Anathema and earned a Trophy.
Source(s): Dread Names, Red List Pg 100.

Supernatural

Deceptive Aura (1pt. Merit): Your aura is unnaturally bright and colorful for a vampire. You register as a mortal on all attempts to read your aura.
Source(s): V20 Pg 493.

Healing Touch (1pt. Merit): Normally vampires can only seal the wounds they inflict from feeding by licking them. With but a touch, you can achieve the same effect, closing the puncture wounds left by drinking blood.
Source(s): V20 Pg 493.

Inoffensive to Animals (1pt. Merit): With rare exceptions, animals usually despise the Kindred. Some flee, others attack, but all dislike being in the presence of a vampire. You have no such problem. Animals may not enjoy being in your company, but they don’t actively flee from you.
Source(s): V20 Pg 493.

Medium (2pt. Merit): You possess the natural affinity to sense and hear spirits, ghosts, and shades. Though you cannot see them, you can sense them, speak to them and, through pleading or cajoling, draw them to your presence. You may call upon them for aid or advice, but there will always be a price. Also, your difficulty is reduced by two for all Awareness rolls involving the spirits of the dead.
Source(s): V20 Pg 493.

Magic Resistance (2pt. Merit): You have an inherent resistance to the rituals of the Tremere and the spells of the mages of other Clans. The difficulty of all such magic, both malicious and beneficent, is two higher when directed at you. You may never learn magical Disciplines such as Thaumaturgy and Necromancy.
Source(s): V20 Pg 493.

Hidden Diablerie (3pt. Merit): The tell-tale black streaks of diablerie do not manifest in your aura.
Source(s): V20 Pg 493.

Additional Discipline (5pt. Merit): You can take one additional Discipline (Storyteller discretion) as if it were a Clan Discipline. All costs to learn that Discipline are paid out as if it were native to your Clan. A character cannot take this Merit more than once, and Caitiff vampires cannot take this Merit.
Source(s): V20 Pg 494.

Unbondable (5pt. Merit): RESTRICTED Ask Your Storyteller - You are immune to being blood bound. Tremere cannot take this Merit.
Source(s): V20 Pg 494.

Nine Lives (6pt. Merit): Fate has granted you the opportunity to come as close to Final Death as anyone can get and still survive. When a roll occurs that would result in your death, the roll is made again. If the next roll succeeds, then you live — and one of your nine lives is used up. If that subsequent roll fails, then another reroll is made, until either a successful roll occurs or your nine lives are used up. The Storyteller should keep careful count of how many lives the character has remaining.
Source(s): V20 Pg 494.

True Faith (7pt. Merit): You have a deep-seated faith in and love for God, or whatever name you choose to call the Almighty. You begin the game with one point of True Faith (see the sidebar on p. 372); this Trait adds one die per point to all Willpower and Virtue rolls. You must have a Humanity of 9 or higher to choose this Merit, and if you lose even a single point, all your Faith points are lost and may be regained only when the lost Humanity is recovered. Individuals with True Faith are capable of performing magical acts akin to miracles, but the exact nature of those acts are up to the Storyteller.
Source(s): V20 Pg 494.

Lore of the Clans Merits:

Assamite Pg 26.

Sectarian Ally (1pt. Merit) You have a close friend in one of the Kindred sects. Perhaps you are a warrior who is in touch with one of the antitribu, a vizier who shares common business interests with some Camarilla Ventrue, or a sorcerer who corresponds with one of the rare blood magicians of the Anarch Movement. Your ally can help you navigate the currents of their sect, but they might want something in exchange from time to time.

Thousand Meter Killer (1pt. Merit) You have proven yourself worthy to join the Thousand Meter Club through your remarkable skill with the sniper rifle. The difficulty of all rolls associated with sniping is reduced by -1. You also double the normal range when using a sniper rifle as a weapon.

Brujah Pg 48.

Fury’s Focus (3pt. Merit. Prerequisite: Path of Entelechy) Brujah who have devoted themselves to mastering their frenzies through the Path of Entelechy sometimes find tangible benefits resulting from their efforts. A Brujah with this Merit may briefly delay the full onset of frenzy. System: The player spends a Willpower point at the onset of frenzy and then rolls the Brujah’s Entelechy rating. The difficulty is one higher than the original roll to resist frenzy. The Brujah still frenzies, but the player controls her character’s actions for one turn per success. Furthermore, when the period of partial control ends and the Brujah loses control, the difficulty of any degeneration rolls triggered by sins committed during the frenzy are reduced by the number of successes rolled, to a minimum difficulty of 4. 

Dynamic Personality (5pt. Merit) Your natural charisma draws mortals to you like groupies to a rock star. Consequently, it is easier for you to acquire certain Backgrounds related to mortals. System: In addition to any Backgrounds acquired at character creation or through roleplay, you can purchase new Backgrounds with experience points at the end of each story. The available Backgrounds are Allies, Contacts, Herd, Retainers, and each new dot costs the current rating in experience points. 

Setites Pg 67.

Drug Resistance (2pt. Merit) The Setite religion is one fraught with vices, both to compromise enemies and to enlighten initiates. Cultists tend to build up a tolerance to the substances they take directly (if human or ghoul) or through the blood of prey (if Kindred). You are unusually resistant to alcohol, narcotics, and similar addictive substances. You can pretend to be far more under the influence than you are in order to take advantage of an opponent. All rolls to resist the effects of such substances are at -2 difficulty. 

Addictive Blood (3pt. Merit) You don’t just peddle narcotics; through the blessings of the Dark God, you are the perfect drug. Your blood is especially delicious to others, Kindred or kine. Whoever tastes your blood must, during any subsequent scenes that they meet you, drink again or spend a Willpower point to avoid the pangs of craving. These cravings add +2 difficulty to any Mental or Social rolls. Setites with this Merit find it much easier to blood bond an opponent, as once they have tasted the tainted vitae, they will do almost anything to drink it again.

Setite Initiate (5pt. Merit) You were Embraced into a Clan other than the Followers of Set. However, you have accepted the Setite religion, undergone the vetting process and rites, and have been formally inducted into the cult. You have access to Serpentis and Setite Blood Sorcery (though you pay out-of-Clan costs to learn the,). You may even study one of their Paths of Enlightenment. It is important to note that “Setites” from other Clans or bloodlines are not treated as second-class citizens. You are no longer a dupe they can string along. Once you are in, you are a sibling of faith, which is a much more important distinction than blood. An outsider accepting the Dark God is a joyous event, even to the most conservative elder. There are even rumors of non-Kindred supernatural beings joining the cult.

Gangrel Pg 86-7.

Hive-Minded (1 or 2pt. Merit) Your Animalism works on insects and other creepy-crawlies in addition to mammalian animals. If you select the two-point version of this merit, your Protean forms may take the form of an insectoid swarm rather than a single creature (though the swarm must be of a size equivalent to a wolf or a bat, as appropriate). 

Skald (2pt. Merit) Anytime you make an Occult roll to know a fact about vampiric history, you may add a die to your dice pool. Further, you have exceptional memory for oral histories, and you are a quick study when it comes to memorizing large amounts of rote information. This is not true eidetic memory, but constitutes the ability to memorize poetic eddas, codes, or complex messages with only a few hours of study. 

Lesser Mark of the Beast (4pt. Merit) Common to the Gangrel known as the Knights of Avalon, you are able to control how your Beast manifests more than others do. Whenever you would gain an animalistic feature (V20, p. 55), roll your current Willpower (difficulty 12 - Humanity rating, maximum 9). If successful, you manage to channel your humanity to avoid gaining an animalistic feature. However, your Beast is further from you, making you at +2 difficulty to rolls involving Animalism or Protean (or combo Disciplines involving those powers) for the rest of the evening. Vampires on a Path of Enlightenment lose all access to this Merit.

Totemic Change (5pt. Merit) Your Protean forms are flexible; you may choose a different animal form each time you change shape. The form you choose each time must follow all the conventions and rules of standard Protean animal shapes (see p. 91); you simply may choose to appear as a different animal each time you take Beast Form.

Giovanni Pg 106-7.

Cannibal (1pt. Merit) Most vampires can’t eat food, and even those who can force it down, don’t gain sustenance from it. Like them, you still can’t stomach the crap most mortals eat. Human meat, on the other hand, brings you great joy. It can be baked, fried, or even raw, and you can tuck right in, and even gain sustenance. Even other vampires look askance at Kindred who devour their prey, though the Dunsirn applaud your respect for tradition. In addition to the blood points every human can provide, you can cannibalize a mortal and gain even more. An average human can provide up to seven helpings of meat (one per health level). Each helping provides you with one blood point. 

Consanguineous Resistance (1pt. Merit) Your character cannot be blood bound by anyone who shares his mortal bloodline. That is, if you were born into the Giovanni family, you cannot be bound by anyone else who was born a Giovanni, though you can still be bound by, say, a Pisanob of the Giovanni Clan, or by Kindred of any other Clan. Similarly, a Dunsirn with Consanguineous Resistance could not be bound by others who were born into the mortal Dunsirn family, but could be bound by a Milliner of the Giovanni Clan. The Giovanni are extremely suspicious of anyone known to manifest this quirk. Although this blood-borne aberration hasn’t been documented, a few savvy Giovanni have a rough idea of what it is and does. It’s generally associated with being a rebellious young smartass who needs to be put down. This is not as unfair as it sounds; by the time a bond resistance is really obvious, it’s likely because a punishment isn’t working. A character who is discovered to have this trait probably earns her sire’s hostility at the very least.

Mortuario (2 or 4pt. Merit) You died. Perhaps you were murdered, or simply had a car accident. Whatever the cause, you were gone. But your sire found you too useful, or couldn’t let you go. You were Embraced using the Ferryman’s Recall ritual (see p. 109). The Embrace left you with the scars of your death, eternal tracework reminders of your trip to the other side. It also left you with the taut, pallid complexion of the dead. In addition to the traditional weakness of your Clan, you also suffer disfigurement from your time as a true corpse. While you are able to heal yourself just like any other vampire, the wounds do not heal cleanly. You retain the scars of every experience. Depending on the nature of the damage, this can make social dealings exceedingly difficult, and may decrease your Appearance dots over time (even to 0). However, your time across the Shroud also gave you a natural feel for necromantic blood magic. The difficulties of all Necromancy rolls are reduced by two. This trait costs 4 points for characters who already have an appearance of 0 (such as Samedi and the Harbingers of Skulls), or 2 points for any other Kindred. It is an incredibly rare condition even among the Giovanni, and essentially unknown outside the Clan. Giovanni with this Merit generally arouse the superstition of their Clan, and are treated with a definite wariness, particularly by Anziani. Characters with the Mortuario Merit may not also possess the Sanguine Incongruity Merit or similar flaws such as Monstrous.

Sanguine Incongruity (5pt. Merit) Giovanni with this atavism are few and far between. Kindred possessing it do not bear the traditional Giovanni Clan weakness, the so-called Curse of Lamia; their Kiss causes no more damage than the blood loss itself. These vampires acquire a peculiar pallor upon their Embrace, however — they look like corpses, and no amount of blood ingestion can flush their features (as other vampires are able to do). Indeed, the bearer of this Merit more closely resembles the Clan’s Cappadocian ancestors, and they have a slightly unnerving air about them. As a result, all rolls involving a Social attribute (Charisma, Manipulation, or Appearance) are at +1 difficulty. Giovanni with this Merit are afforded wide berth, as the Giovanni tend to be quite superstitious about it. Characters with the Sanguine Incongruity Merit may not also possess the Mortuario Merit.

Lasombra Pg 121-3.

Court Favorite (1-5pt. Merit) While the Courts of Blood are usually difficult to sway, you have become very good at shifting the balance. A mixture of experience and political empathy allow you to know just the right way to nudge the decision in your direction, or perhaps for that of your client. Any roll made that will affect the decision in a Court of Blood is granted a bonus or penalty (whichever is in your favor) in dice equal to the level you have of this Merit.

Eyes of Shadow (1-4pt. Merit) There is something about your eyes that makes you look dark and dangerous. Making eye contact with you is like staring into the Abyss. It may not be obvious why, but anyone you talk to gets a chill when they meet your gaze. The difficulty for any Intimidation roll is reduced by the number of points in this Merit (to a minimum of 2).

Bigger Boys Came (2pt. Merit) When someone uses their contacts to their advantage, you can try to use yours to overrule them. You might get an editor to quash a reporter’s story, or get a gang boss to stop his thugs taking down a rival. To do this you must make a roll using Manipulation + Contacts (difficulty 8). If you can get more successes than the Contacts rating of your opponent, their contacts fail to come through for them.

Call of the Sea (2pt. Merit) There is something about the sea that makes you feel at home. You are in tune with the tides and rhythm of the ocean. When on a boat in the ocean or on a river, you may add a die to all your dice pools except for Disciplines.

Controllable Night Sight (2pt. Merit) Your night vision is extraordinarily good, even for a vampire. The deepest shadows are like looking into a well-lit room for you. However, in normal light or bright conditions, you have to switch back to less-sensitive vision, or the weakest light quickly blinds you. While your night sight is active, you suffer no penalties for the dark and can see perfectly well. Should you use it in well-lit conditions; you suffer a penalty inversely proportional to the usual penalties for darkness. 

Secret Stash (2-5pt. Merit) You have several resources, sleeper agents, or followers hidden away for a rainy day. For each level of this Merit you have one unassigned background point “sitting in storage” (2 gives you one point, 3 gives you two points, and so on). At any time, you may spend as many of them as you like to increase your level in Allies, Contacts, Herd, Influence, Mentor, Resources, or Retainers. Once spent, the points remain assigned permanently, but until then they cannot be affected by anything. This allows the vampire to create a new resource in an instant, without requiring the expenditure of experience points or awaiting a downtime. The vampire is not really gaining new levels, but revealing levels he has had all along.

Aura of Command (3pt. Merit) Whether you are good at barking orders or simply have a commanding tone, people tend to do what you tell them to do. You are not so much a natural leader as a born commander. When using the Leadership skill to get others to obey you, the difficulty is reduced by two.

King or Queen of Shadow (4pt. Merit) It is hard to hold onto your Humanity within the Sabbat, or even simply as a vampire. Your ability to empathize with the kine makes it more difficult. However, you have found a way to draw strength from that empathy. Any degeneration checks you make while on Path of Humanity reduce their difficulty by two.

Long-Term Planning (4pt. Merit) You never leave anything to chance; every action is a carefully considered stratagem. Once per session you may declare an action you are about to take is actually “all part of your plan” and reduce its difficulty by two points. The Storyteller may veto the use of this ability on particular rolls. The player and Storyteller should keep a note of each of these occasions and decide how they are linking together into a grand scheme.

Instrument of God (5pt. Merit) Your self-confidence comes not from a belief in your own abilities, but due to a direct manifesto from the Lord. You have a divine purpose and He works through you, even though your goals may seem anything but holy. Whether it is because of you powerful will or an actual connection to the divine, you gain three additional dice to resist the powers of True Faith when they are used against you. 

Malkavian Pg 142.

Distracting Aura (2pt. Merit) Reading an aura using Auspex requires the viewer to focus on recurring patterns and colors to detect a target’s emotional state. Because of the unique state of your psyche, your aura is even harder to read than most. All uses of Aura Perception are at a +2 difficulty against you.

Prophetic Dreams (2pt. Merit) You have dreams during your daylight sleep. Dreams you remember. Sometimes, they even come true. Rather than regain a point of Willpower when you rest during the day, you may choose to have the Storyteller give your character a lucid dream featuring foreshadowing about upcoming events, characters, and situations.

Cold Read (3pt. Merit) Whenever you meet someone for the first time, you may spend a number of points of Willpower equal to your Perception. For each point spent, you may ask the Storyteller one question about the character. The Storyteller must either answer truthfully or let you take the Willpower point back to you to avoid answering the question.

Nosferatu Pg 160-1.

Foul Blood (1pt. Merit) Your blood is vile; in fact, it tastes so disgusting it requires a Willpower roll (difficulty 6) just to avoid gagging and retching after tasting it. If someone is foolish enough to attempt diablerie on you, they need to succeed in three (difficulty 9) Willpower rolls to go through with it. The blood is so disgusting that no one can keep it down long enough to use it to become a ghoul, either. 

Lizard Limbs (1pt. Merit) Like a lizard, you are able to actually shed parts of your body. By spending a blood point and a little effort, you can detach a hand or foot, or even an arm or leg. This might be to escape bonds or a grapple. Unfortunately, the appendage will not reattach, and you will have to regrow that over time (usually a couple of days for a hand or foot, and a week for a limb). You also suffer a -3 dice pool penalty to actions that would require the use of more limbs.

Long Fingers (1pt. Merit) You have been blessed with unusually long and graceful fingers. This means you have an easier time with fine manipulation as well as grappling tasks, gaining an extra die when attempting such actions.

Monstrous Maw (1pt. Merit) You have either oversized tusks for fangs, or a huge mouth full of sharp teeth. Whatever form it takes, your mouth is that of a monster. When attacking with a bite you do an additional point of damage. You may also add a die to your Intimidation dice pool when you smile.

Piscine (1pt. Merit) Water is a far more comfortable environment for you, be it the sea or sewer effluent. Rolls involving swimming or underwater movement have their difficulty reduced by 1.

Slimy (1pt. Merit) You secrete an ooze, which is as disgusting as it sounds. The ooze covers your entire body and soaks into your clothes. It makes you slippery and difficult to hold, requiring opponents to gain two more successes to grapple you. The dampness also makes you a little fire resistant, reducing your difficulty to soak fire damage by 1.

Spawning Pool (1-3pt. Merit) You have a spawning pool of your own (or possibly donate heavily to the Clan’s main pool). Creating such a pool takes time, and requires regular infusions of blood, at least six blood points a week for a year. The Merit grants its level as a dice pool bonus to the Nosferatu’s use of Animalism in their home city, but only with animals considered vermin, such as rats and cockroaches. Essentially the bonus is only available for creatures that might conceivably drink regularly from the tainted blood. Once established, the spawning pool requires twice its level in blood points each week to it. Without proper maintenance, its level will drop by one. It can be rebuilt by maintaining it at the new level and adding four additional blood points each week for six months. The Merit cannot be improved above its initial level, as this also represents the convenience of its location and the variety of creatures that might find it.

Tunnel Rat (1-5pt. Merit) You are remarkably adept at moving through the underground tunnels that you call your home. When attempting to navigate, escape, or track through sewers and underground places you know, you gain an additional die for every point you have in this Merit.

Sleep Unseen (2pt. Merit) The power of Obfuscate usually requires you to concentrate at least a little. However, you are able to lock the power on, allowing you to sleep while remaining hidden. To do so requires the expenditure of another blood point, but it will last throughout the day’s rest. Those with Auspex can still attempt to detect you, but mortals will be unaware of your sanctuary. This can be a useful trick for Kindred who like to travel.

Tough Hide (2pt. Merit) Your skin is much tougher than usual, possibly like that of a rhino or a lizard. This hide protects you against most normal damage, granting you an extra die when making a soak roll. However, this bonus does not apply against fire and sunlight. 

False Reflection (3pt. Merit) Even when using their Obfuscate abilities, Nosferatu still show up in their true form when noticed by machines, such as cameras or video surveillance. With this ability, the Nosferatu can extend their power to recorded images and media. However, as with Mask of the Thousand Faces, the original image isn’t actually changed; it is just that people see it the way the Nosferatu wants it seen. Unfortunately, computers are not so easily fooled: if the image is used for facial recognition software (for instance), the computer will see the Nosferatu’s real face and fail to find a match. The Nosferatu has best take care how this power is used, as it may wear off in time. Some archived photos have given librarians a nasty surprise, years after going into storage.

Patagia (4pt. Merit) Your arms and legs have leathery flaps of skin between them, similar to that of a flying squirrel. While they make finding clothes a nightmare, they also allow you to glide for short distances, given enough height and a decent wind. The Storyteller might require an Athletics roll when it comes to landing.

Rugged Bad Looks (5pt. Merit) While you are still hideous, you are not quite as monstrous as most Nosferatu. You still have an appearance of 0, but you might pass for human in the right light. It is a still a good idea to cover up and stay in the shadows, but the sight of you (or even the smell of you) is not an instant breach of the Masquerade. Having said that, you are still ugly enough to unnerve the crap out of most people. 

Ravnos Pg 181-2.

Antitoxin Blood (1pt. Merit)' Although vampires are typically immune to mortal drugs and poisons, there are supernatural venoms that can affect Kindred physiology. A Ravnos with this Merit is immune to all forms of drugs and poisons, including the venoms and toxins of supernatural creatures or those created by supernatural powers.

Brahmin (1pt. Merit) As a member of the Brahmin jati, you are a priest, artist, teacher, or other pillar of society. Perhaps you keep the lore of the Clan, or perhaps you act as an advisor to other Ravnos in need of wisdom. Once per session, if you fail an Academics or Expression roll, you may immediately reroll it. You do not have to purchase this Merit to be a member of the Brahmin jati, but only members of the Brahmin jati may have this Merit.

Kshatriya (1pt. Merit) You are a member of the Kshatriya jati; perhaps you are a warrior, a descendant of rulers, or a member of the military. Your role is to protect the Ravnos in war, and govern in peace. Once per session, you regain a Willpower when you successfully use a combat maneuver (see V20, pp. 274-278). You do not have to purchase this Merit to be a member of the Kshatriya jati, but only members of the Kshatriya jati may have this Merit.

Legerdemain (1pt. Merit) You’re extremely good at sleight of hand and other physical tricks. Difficulties when using Subterfuge for physical trickery, shell games, card tricks, and so forth, are decreased by two.

Mute Devotion (1pt. Merit) Your Animalism carries an unusual side effect: it lingers in the minds of the beasts you speak with or control, lending them a certain resistance to others. When someone else attempts to command a creature you have previously controlled with Animalism, their difficulty levels are at +2.

Vaishya (1pt. Merit) The Vaishya jati are tasked with utilizing influence, maintaining the human herds, and keeping finances. They are often seen as traders and merchants, but to the Ravnos, they are also a critical part of maintaining the Masquerade that hides vampires from mortal hunters. Once per session, you may call on of your Backgrounds as if you had an extra dot in that Background (up to the normal maximum of 5). You do not have to purchase this Merit to be a member of the Vaishya jati, but only members of the Vaishya jati may have this Merit.

Critters (2pt. Merit) You’re excellent with animals — so much so that they constantly seek to befriend you. Wherever you go, the animals are happy to see you, and more often than not, happy to help you when you ask for their aid. You receive a bonus die on Social rolls to affect small animals. Further, animal companions who have had continual interaction with you see you as something of a pet, and occasionally bring you small useful things. Once per game session, animals will bring you a useful piece of information or a small item relevant to events. This item might occasionally play into the individual Ravnos’ particular vice, as the animals quickly pick up on what pleases their friend.

Heart of Needles (3pt. Merit) Your natural abilities with illusions have rendered you particularly jaded and unimpressible. How can anything be as perfect as your own imagination? Because of this, your heart is harder than most, and you have a significant resistance to emotion control. All powers and Social challenges that attempt to manipulate you emotionally are made at a +2 difficulty.

Toreador Pg 200.

Indelible (1 or 2pt. Merit) Whereas other vampires’ bodies return to the state they were in at the Embrace each evening, any body modifications you get after the Embrace remain as they are until you actively spend a Willpower point to return your body to its tabula rasa state. This Merit applies to changes as simple as dying or cutting your hair to modifications as complicated as tattoos, piercings, or even small implants. If the Merit only allows for cosmetic alterations, it is worth 1 point. If it allows for more utilitarian alterations, such as RFID implants that activate certain electronic devices, then it is worth 2 points.

Impressive Restraint (2pt. Merit) When you haven’t eaten, it can be torturous to be near mortals. The pounding thrum of blood through their veins does not leave you nearly as tempted as it might other Kindred. When opportunity presents itself, the difficulty of all Self-Control rolls to resist hunger are made against a -2 difficulty. Characters on Paths of Enlightenment that require Instinct cannot take this Merit.

Master of the Masquerade (2pt. Merit) There are many small tics, nervous habits, and autonomous bodily functions (like breathing) that Kindred simply forget to do. They can be unnervingly still or forget to breathe, particularly when they think they’re alone. You never let down your guard. The act of breathing remains unconscious habit to you, and you never lapse into that eerie statue-like stillness, even when transfixed or concentrating. Consequently, the difficulties of all Social rolls are lowered by one when interacting with mortals. This Merit does not allow you to eat food or benefit from the blush of health (V20, p. 480) — those Merits are still required to be a true master of the Masquerade.

Slowed Degeneration (5pt. Merit) Your Humanity is strong and can more easily withstand the Beast’s assaults. You gain two additional dice on any Conscience roll. This degree of moral resilience allows a well-behaved vampire to lose Humanity at a much slower rate than would otherwise be possible. Only vampires following Humanity may take this Merit, and the Merit is lost forever in the event that the vampire takes up another Path of Enlightenment.

Tremere Pg 218-9

Embraced without the Cup  (1pt. Merit) For some reason you did not drink the blood of the elders when you were inducted into Clan Tremere. More dangerously, it may have had no effect on you. As a result, you are not bound to the Clan the way most Tremere are. Should it be discovered, it will usually be corrected, but one might almost believe there was some purpose to this lapse, as the Tremere don’t make mistakes. Perhaps the Clan has a special task in mind for you, one where you might be forced to act against the Clan to maintain a cover….

Secret Society Member (1pt. Merit) You have found and joined one of the many secret societies in Clan Tremere. Your character must be suitable to join, such as having Necromancy to join the Covenant. You might pick one of the societies listed here or create one of your own. In most cases, your society membership should be kept secret, but your allegiance to it is not considered a crime. While your society expects you to uphold its tenets and agenda, they can also be counted upon to back you up and help you increase your power within the pyramid.

Keys to the Library (1-5pt. Merit) You have one of the most sought after positions in the chantry: a librarian. It is one of your duties to catalogue and maintain the magical lore kept in your chantry. This means you have complete access to it, and get to decide who can see it and who can’t. A vast array of rituals and Thaumaturgical knowledge resides here, making it simple to learn many of the secrets of magic. No matter how restrictive your chantry, you have complete access to the library for research. The cost of this merit is the same as the chantry’s Library rating (see pp. 221-222).

Outside Haven (2pt. Merit) You maintain your own private haven outside the chantry and Tremere control. Most Tremere are expected to rest in the chantry, where the Clan can keep an eye on them. However, you have been trusted with a little more privacy. This might be because you have already proved your loyalty, or perhaps because they are testing it.

Unmarked Antitribu (2 or 5pt. Merit) While you are part of the Sabbat and a traitor to House and Clan Tremere, somehow you remain unmarked by the antitribu curse. You are not easily recognized as a renegade Tremere, and the magic that burned so many of your brethren cannot target you. Further, other Sabbat members cannot judge you at a glance. Those of the Telyavelic bloodline can purchase this Merit at 2 points, while other Tremere pay 5 points.

Quartermaster (3pt. Merit) You are one of the Kindred responsible for maintaining and organizing the chantry’s mundane supplies. You may take anything from the chantry’s stores as defined by the chantry’s Stores rating. While you will have to return or replace anything you borrow, you have access the whole range of equipment appropriate to the size of the chantry. This might range from assault weapons and explosives to advanced medical and scientific equipment. 

Tzimisce Pg 238-9.

Bioluminescence (1pt. Merit) Perhaps through biological expertise, or perhaps by unlocking something primordial within, you have accessed the secrets of bioluminescence. Using the Vicissitude, you may grant yourself (through Malleable Visage) or others (via Fleshcraft — both as per V20, p. 241) the ability to emit a soft glow. With muscle control and practice, you can control the color and pattern of the illumination. This can light a soft glow in the dark, create beautiful displays, or even act as a primal form of communication. Some Fiends grant their ghouls or childer bioluminescence, developing an eerily nuanced and wordless language with their thralls and broods. Only characters with at least one dot of Vicissitude may purchase this Merit.

Pain Tolerance (2pt. Merit) Maybe you are a badass or shut off your nerves through Vicissitude. Maybe your sire put you through so many intricate hells that it would be tough for anyone else to compete. Maybe it just turns you on. Regardless, at Hurt or Injured, you suffer no wound penalties, though you still suffer full penalties at Wounded and below. You must have a Conviction or Courage rating of 3 or more to take this Merit.

Dracon’s Temperament (3pt. Merit) You emulate the ideal of Azi Dahaka within and without, to levels visceral and abstract. Your psyche flows with the permutable nature of change. Like the protean Dracon, you are a whirlwind of temperaments. This is not multiple personalities. You are one identity shown through the prism of ever-shifting Natures. No anchor fetters your sense of self. You can be any you. At the start of each story, you may choose one Personality Archetype to function as your Nature, spending the rest of the story perceiving the world through that perspective. You also regain Willpower according to your new Nature and may be affected by other effects or Discipline powers as per your new Nature as well.

Haven Affinity (3pt. Merit) You are the land. The land is you. The home soil calls to you. You give to it, and it gives to you. Your connection to the earth of your prime haven grants you an extra die to all dice pools when operating there. It also acts as a mystic beacon, allowing you to home in on its location with a standard Perception + Survival roll (difficulty 6), +1 difficulty when a state or country separates you; +2 if you’re halfway across the globe. This applies only to your primary haven.

Revenant Disciplines (3pt. Merit) The blood of your revenant family runs deep, deeper than the Embrace. The Disciplines that were innate to you as a ghoul have remained so as a Cainite. At character creation, select the ghoul family from which you hail (V20, pp. 503-506). Instead of the Tzimisce’s standard complement of Animalism, Auspex, and Vicissitude, you draw from your three family Disciplines for your starting allocation (though you may buy other Disciplines with freebies, as normal). You trade in the entire set of Tzimisce Clan Disciplines for the set of revenant family Disciplines, for the purposes of in-Clan Experience cost.

Promethean Clay (5pt. Merit) Your flesh ripples and molds itself to your preternatural will, almost before you consciously invoke the change. The difficulty to use any Vicissitude power on yourself is two less than normal, and you may activate Vicissitude powers reflexively at your full dice pool while taking other actions. Powers that require multiple turns to activate still require the usual duration. The change simply occurs without conscious direction. As a final benefit, you need no physical sculpting to use the first three levels of Vicissitude on yourself, as your flesh undulates and extrudes to its desired shape. Only characters with at least one dot of Vicissitude may purchase this Merit.

Ventrue Pg 261.

Connoisseur (2pt. Merit) Your study of the Auspex Discipline, combined with your rarified tastes, allows you powerful insights into the character of any whose blood you taste. System: The character tastes another’s blood (potentially risking blood bond), and player rolls Perception + Empathy (difficulty 6 for mortals or 8 for Kindred). If the blood came from a mortal, each success allows him to learn one of the following: the mortal’s Nature, her Demeanor, any Derangements she may possess, whether she is blood bonded, and whether she carries any blood-borne diseases. If the vitae came from a vampire, he can learn all of the previous information, plus anything discoverable with the first level of the Path of Blood (see V20, p. 213). The Ventrue may taste the blood of a mortal who does not fit within his feeding restriction long enough to use this ability, but he must immediately spit it out afterwards. Vampires that do not have Auspex •• cannot take this Merit.

Blessed by St. Gustav (4pt. Merit) Many Ventrue antitribu replace their traditional affinity for Presence with an aptitude for Auspex by means of the ignobilis ritus known as the Prayer to St. Gustav (see sidebar). For your piety and devotion to the Sabbat cause, you have been especially blessed and have an affinity for both Disciplines. System: This Merit is identical to Additional Discipline Merit found on V20, p. 494, except that it can only be used to add Auspex as a fourth in-Clan discipline. Only Ventrue antitribu can take this Merit.

Caitiff Pg 269-70.

Personal Masquerade (3pt. Merit) Thorough charm, manipulation, or just plain luck, you have managed to convince other vampires that you are a member of one of the Clans. Any social interactions with vampires ignorant of your true nature ignore your usual penalty for being Caitiff. However, you must constantly be vigilant of your ruse. Should anyone come to realize you have been playing them for fools, their vengeance will be swift. The higher you climb in Kindred politics, the more likely this becomes. The Clan Weakness Flaw can actually prove to be a boon in supporting your Masquerade. Others, however, must be that much more careful.

Rites of the Blood Merits Pg 41.

Supernatural

Mark of Caine (4 pt Merit) Over the course of history, some of these rituals have been lost, either due to the death of Sect members, or because the ritus simply was not as integral to the Sect’s survival in the modern world. One of these lost ritae was the Mark of the Father, which offered protection against weapons of faith. As faith has declined in the modern world, the ritus was used less and less, until eventually, priests who know the ritae have become all but extinct. Some vampires who participated in the lost Mark of Caine ritus were especially blessed, and still bear a faint sign of favor. Such vampires are always old, pre-dating the first Sabbat Civil War, and once had this ritual cast upon them by a powerful practitioner. These vampires have a small, faded mark upon their forehead that resembles the Hebraic letter tav. System: Those who bear the Mark of Caine gain a twisted form of True Faith. They can use the effects of the first dot of True Faith (V20, pp. 372-373) – they must use symbols of Caine as “holy symbols.” Further, they get +2 dice to resist mortal True Faith. Only vampires on spiritual Paths of Enlightenment can use this Merit – if a Cainite reverts to Humanity or succumbs to wassail, all benefit from this Merit is lost forever.

The Black Hand A Guide To The Tal'Mahe'Ra Merits: Pg 177.

Physical
 


Discerning Palate (4pt. Merit) Your naturally selective palate allows you to discern specific traits inherent to a sample of blood. With but a taste, you can determine potency, freshness, species, or whether a blood sample is contaminated, as well as attempt to identify the Generation, age, and even Clan of other vampires. If you sample even a single drop of blood, roll Perception + Awareness (difficulty 8).



• One success allows you to identify the relative potency and freshness of the blood, a species whose blood you have previously tasted and know to be of a specific kind, the Generation of another vampire within two steps of your own, if the blood is either under one hundred or over one hundred years old, and if it is of your same Clan.
 
• Two successes identifies whether the blood is contaminated by disease or poison, the Generations of vampires within four steps of your own, the approximate age within fifty years (if less than three hundred years old), and any Clan whose blood you’ve previously tasted. • With three or more successes, you identify specific contaminates you’ve sampled before, Generations within six steps of your own, the vintage of blood within twenty-five years (if less than six hundred years old), and any Clan as well as family of vampires whose blood you’ve tasted previously.



Mental 



Grand Library (2, 4, 6, or 7 pt. Merit) Throughout the years, you’ve managed to amass an exquisite collection of books, both common and rare. Choose 3 Knowledge dots for every 2 points taken in this Merit, or 10 Knowledge dots for 7 points. While working in your library, the difficulty rating for any rolls involving those Knowledges is reduced by 2. 



Berserker (3pt. Merit) You possess the ability to willingly enter a berserker state for a scene. While berserking, you ignore wound penalties and reduce the difficulty of all combat rolls except for dodges by -3. You also can take no complex actions other than combat, dodging, or running. 



Social
 


Arcane (1 to 5 pt. Merit) Some vampires have a strange ability to slip from notice, which manifests as an aura of forgetfulness. Those trying to remember the vampire experience a sensation of jamais-vu. The ability may be deliberately developed, or the Kindred could simply be too ordinary to pay attention to. Though not similar to Obfuscate, Arcane doesn’t help in combat situations — the vampire can’t literally vanish. However, someone searching for them may well fail, as no one remembers the vampire or can give a reliable description. Each point taken subtracts one die from any dice pools used to actively locate the vampire or recall her from memory. Those with this Merit can choose to “turn off” Arcane if they wish. As a passive trait, it doesn’t help on Stealth rolls or other overt attempts to hide. If you have any dots in Status or Fame, Arcane ceases to function while you possess them.



Entrepreneur (2pt. Merit) Making money comes naturally to you, and you know what it takes to succeed. All rolls involving acquiring money through business dealings have their difficulty reduced by 2. 



Paragon (7pt. Merit) Others find you particularly compelling. Select one Background from the following group: Allies, Contacts, Domain, Fame, Herd, Influence, Mentor, Resources, Retainers, or Status. You receive one free dot in that Background, and your maximum Trait score in that Background may exceed normal Generational limits by one. 



Supernatural 



Apostate (2pt. Merit) Since their inception, Nergali Baali have subverted members of other Clans into their own ranks. Known as Apostates, initiates are first drained completely by a Baali nest-master, who then extracts the still-beating heart from a mortal victim, fills it with his own blood, and buries it in a pool of gore within a Well of Sacrifice. The initiate swims through the dismembered bodies and viscous remains to find and consume the heart. In this way, Nergali do not make a victim of those they Embrace; prospective members must claim it through strength of will. Apostates replace any one in-Clan Discipline with Daimoinon, but in turn gain the Baali Clan weakness on top of their standard Clan weakness. Apostates can still pass with relative ease for members of their former Clans, but any childe they Embrace is indistinguishable from a standard Baali. Further, such a childe shares none of the Clan Disciplines or weaknesses of their sire’s former Clan, save those Disciplines that are innate to the Baali. Apostates do not lose levels in the Discipline they choose to exchange for Daimoinon, but further levels in that Discipline are purchased at out-of-Clan costs. Baali may not take this Merit.



Without a Trace (2pt. Merit) When in the wilderness, the earth fills in your footprints. You leave no noticeable traces, not even a scent. Normal attempts at tracking automatically fail. Supernatural attempts are done with a +2 difficulty.



Psychic Leech (5pt. Merit) At the cost of one Willpower point, you may feed on the Willpower of your victims from a distance. The consumed Willpower strengthens the potency of your own blood, effectively transforming it into temporary blood that dissipates at the end of the night. These temporary blood points may be spent just like regular blood points, but cannot be lost due to damage or blood drain, do not affect hunger rolls for frenzy, and may not be used to create or sustain blood bonds or ghouls. To activate this ability, the target must have at least one of your blood points in their system, and must be engaged in eye contact with you.

Lore of the Bloodlines Merits

Baali Pg 16.



The High Price (3pt. Merit) The burden of acquiring truth or power always comes at a high price. None know that more than these Baali, who sacrifice a part of their own soul in aspiration of greatness. Their physical body is wracked with weakness and pain, capping any Physical Attributes at four dots and costing 1 Willpower point every evening when they rise. In exchange for this tribute, the Baali receive +2 dice to any Discipline-related checks. 



Simply Waiting (4pt. Merit) The Baali knows their place within the order of the universe, and where they stand against other vampires or those of their own bloodline. They also know the end of the world is coming, sooner rather than later. They appear apathetic to the world around them, but in truth, they are simply resigned to their fate and remain unmoved if others try to get them to stray from their path. All Social rolls against them are increased by +2 difficulty, as the Baali knows the true end of it all.
 


Daughters of Cacophony Pg 26.



Chorus Trained (3 or 5pt. Merit) The character has learned how to use the Fugue to tune in to her sisters and work together with far more efficiency. For 3 points, this Merit grants the character 2 extra dice to any Melpominee dice pool when using the power with another character with this Merit. For 5 points, the bonus 2 dice can be added for any action being performed by a partner with this Merit, such as making art or even fighting together.



Fugue Instinct (3pt. Merit) You can hear warnings and gain insight by listening to the Fugue more deeply. You must forego one of your actions to listen properly to the Fugue within. During this time, you may defend yourself but take no active actions. If you do, then you gain an insight for your next action that grants you +2 dice to whatever dice pool you use.



Gargoyles Pg 37.



Stillness of Death (2pt. Merit) Gargoyles often hide themselves as statuary. The difficulty for any searches to find you are increased by 2 when you stay perfectly still.



Heavy Hands (3pt. Merit) One of the effects of becoming a vampire is strange changes happening to your body. The obvious alterations to your hands have made them tougher, harder, and more impervious to pain. All difficulties for damage rolls using unarmed attacks go down by 1.



Harbingers of Skulls Pg 48.



Disciple of Lazarus / Japheth  (2pt. Merit) You speak for the powers-that-be within your bloodline, and bear the clean, white death mask of a respected Harbinger lost to one of the historic purges suffered by your people. Most Harbingers of Skulls will listen to what you say, and take your words at face value. This Merit adds two dice to any Social roll when you invoke the name of Lazarus or Japheth.



Styx Baptism (3pt. Merit) You pledged fealty to the Harbingers of Skulls and swore to work against the machinations of Ashur, despite not being Embraced into the bloodline. You were escorted to the Shadowlands, where you were baptized head-first in the churning waters of the Styx. The flesh upon your head sloughed off with contact over the coming month, leaving just rotten patches or bare bone, reducing your Appearance Rating to 0 permanently. You’re now held in esteem by Lazarenes, gaining any one of the bloodline’s Disciplines as a Clan Discipline in place of one of your own.



Half-Life (6pt. Merit) You’re more than just a vampire; you’re a wraith in vampire form. Your awareness of the realities of death enables you to spend half the regular experience points cost for increasing Necromancy Paths after the first point, and permits you to move between Shadowlands and Skinlands through the expenditure of a Willpower point. You cannot be controlled as a normal spirit through use of Necromancy, but should other vampires discover what you are, you can expect to be hunted mercilessly. You suffer the same weaknesses and have the same strengths as a vampire, but if viewed with a power such as Aura Perception (V20, p. 135) the aura appears as a double-exposure, with a wavering, translucent humanoid shape merging in and out of yours. 



Kiasyd Pg 59.



Prized Collection (1-2pt. Merit) Kiasyd have appreciation for compilations of books, records, vintages of blood, and other collectable items among Cainites. You possess a collection that may not be worth much (1pt.) or could be worth a lot to the right buyer (2pt.). Importantly, it’s a point of interest for any visiting Kiasyd or expert in the field, and they’re likely to treat you well just to get access to it. 



Alien Perfection (2pt. Merit) You possess beauty unsettling in its perfection. People stand in awe of your flawless form, while inexplicable nausea subconsciously creeps up. The difficulty of any Appearance roll is reduced by three. A Stamina roll is required by anyone in your presence for longer than one scene, if this is the first time they’ve encountered you. Failure drives them away from you with a sickness wracking their body.



Paranormal Link (2pt. Merit) You’re linked to another weird species of the world, and unconsciously find yourself able to understand their parlance, codes, and rituals. Difficulties to decipher the hidden rites and languages of one society (selected when this Merit is purchased) are reduced by three.



Skin of Porcelain (4pt. Merit) Through concoctions imbibed or by a fluke of your Embrace, you possess a ceramic-like coating to your skin. In order for this to have any effect beyond looking strange, a Stamina roll is required (difficulty 8). Success allows you to convert up to three points of aggravated damage from a fire source to lethal damage before attempts to soak. The hardening dissipates for the remainder of the current story.



Vitae Mutation (5pt. Merit) You’ve drank the liquid essence of entities both strange and powerful. Whether the vitae of Methuselahs, the boiling blood of lupines, or bottled dreams of fae, the volume and combination of the brews you’ve consumed have forever altered you. Each night a Willpower roll is required (difficulty 7) for you to manifest a single point of Auspex, Chimerstry, or Dementation. This point can be added to an existing rating in the Discipline, but disappears the following night.



Nagaraja Pg 70.



Extra Sharp (2pt. Merit) All Nagaraja already have sharpened fangs for the purposes of cutting into flesh with ease. A character with this Merit, however, has additional rows of fangs, similar to a shark, each one poised to inflict the most pain possible. Instead of dealing 1 unsoakable lethal damage per bite, they deal 2 lethal instead. Some Nagaraja like this gift since it makes their victims stop squirming much quicker. Others fear it creates a connection to the painful bite of the Giovanni, and may see Nagaraja with this Merit almost as outsiders. 



Speed Eater (2pt. or 4pt. Merit) The vampire’s jaws have been strengthened to allow for faster devouring of one’s prey. For 2 points, he can devour 2 blood points worth of flesh per minute, or he may devour 3 blood points worth for 4 points. Must have at least Stamina 3 in order to gain this Merit. Otherwise, his undead form cannot support the influx of blood and viscera at such a fast pace. 



Wolverine’s Palate (3pt. Merit) Though many do not know this, the dreaded wolverine is one of only a few creatures in the world that can eat their prey entirely, whether larger or smaller. The Nagaraja with this Merit has the ability to eat bone just as easily as flesh, sapping even more spiritual essence from her victim and converting it to blood points. With one bite, she can cut through flesh and bone and swallow it all at once with no ill effect. This also means she may gain up to 5 additional blood points from a body by consuming the bones. 



Salubri Pg 80.



Scent of the Other (1pt. Merit) “You don’t seem like a soul-sucker…” For whatever reason, your third eye shuts tightly when you choose to hide it, and your blood and aura don’t give away your Clan. You might be regarded as a Caitiff, or as a member of another Clan. In any case, Tremere or other Salubri hunters are thrown off your trail, unless you do something to reveal yourself again.



Sight Beyond Sight (3pt. Merit) Your third eye occasionally experiences visions and pierces illusions. When your eye is open (via use of Auspex or Obeah), you occasionally pierce Obfuscate or Chimerstry. Some past Salubri have seen through faerie miens or glimpsed the dead lands of ghosts. You have no control over what your eye sees, though it’ll sometimes open involuntarily in response to the above phenomena. 



Warrior’s Heart (3pt. Merit) Steel sits in the placid heart of the Salubri bloodline, and Adonai’s resurrection has caused your own heart to flutter ever so slightly. Like the Healers of old, you may learn the Valeren powers of the antitribu at a cost of current rating x6; if you know the first two dots of Obeah and Valeren, you gain a 2-die bonus to using the first two Discipline dots. However, your warrior’s heart suffers from the Precept of Samiel, the well-defined wanderlust that affects many Salubri — for every week you spend in the same location, you lose a point of Willpower, as your soul agitates without action. The antitribu might have a similar Merit allowing them to learn Obeah at a cost of always helping someone in need, at the Storyteller’s discretion. 



Samedi Pg 91.



Death Grip (3pt. Merit) Thanks to your connection with death, you have a keen insight few other Kindred possess. When in contact with a dead body, you make a Wits + Alertness roll (difficulty 7). On a success, you intuitively know how the body died. On a failure, you suffer an illusory version of the wound that saps a point of Willpower. On a botch, your body mirrors the wound and hurts itself in the same manner, causing lethal damage equal to the final blow.



Stitcher (3pt. Merit) Getting blown apart isn’t a big deal. When parts of your body are cut off or otherwise removed due to damage, you may make a Dexterity + Medicine (difficulty 7) to sew the part back in place properly. If successful, the cost of healing the wound is reduced by one blood point.



True Brujah Pg 99.



Advanced Tech (1-5 pt. Merit) You have a device (or possibly a few) of an advanced design. While the True Brujah are not especially good at innovation, they are good at making improvements. So this device has no special functions unavailable to its contemporaries, but it does work a lot better. It reduces the chance of a mechanical fault (such as a jam) by half and all uses of the device are made with a -1 to the difficulty. The Storyteller should decide on the cost of the Merit, depending on how many items the character has, and how powerful they are.



Fatalist (3pt. Merit) The character’s study of time has led them to believe that what is done is simply done. Destiny is a fixed path and therefore we are all the slaves of our own futures. As such, nothing can truly be our fault, for nothing is entirely under our control. It therefore becomes a lot easier to excuse themselves from their worst excesses. The character subtracts 2 from the difficulty of all degeneration rolls against losses of Humanity or Path of Enlightenment. 



True Celerity (5pt. Merit) The True Brujah have an odd relationship with Celerity. It often comes easily to them, but a few refuse to learn it, as it has become a symbol of the traitor Brujah. However, many find it a useful skill for masquerading as Brujah within the Camarilla or Sabbat, and so a few True Brujah have developed a slightly different form of the Discipline. A character with this Merit has the ability to learn True Celerity. While it works exactly the same as Celerity, it feels very different. Instead of the character moving quickly, they slow time down all around them. This Merit confers no Discipline points for the character, but does allow it to be bought with experience as if Celerity was a Clan discipline. While this power functions the same as Celerity, it cannot be taught to anyone who does not have any levels of the Temporis Discipline.


 

Dark Ages V20 Merits: Starting on Pg. 420

Physical Merits



Ambidextrous (1 point): Whether by training or a gift of birth, you are equally adept with both hands. You must still split actions as normal, but you do not incur any additional penalties for taking actions with your non-dominant hand.

Deceptive Eating (1 point): By some fortune, you are able to consume and enjoy mortal cuisine, thereby adding another layer to your guise of mortality. When applicable, the Storyteller may rule a lower difficulty or reduced penalties to rolls to convince others that you are human. You cannot digest or derive nourishment from normal food, however, and eventually must find a time and a place to heave it back up.



Blush of Health (2 points): The Embrace that claimed you did not entirely leach away the tells of your former life. Your skin is cool to the touch rather than cold, retaining a healthy fullness as if blood skill coursed through your veins. You easily pass as a mortal against all but the most thorough examination and the Storyteller may choose to lower the difficulty or reduce penalties to rolls to convince others of your mortality. Cappadocians and Nosferatu may not take this Merit.

Without a Trace (2 points): When you stray from the paths of civilization and wander into the wilderness, leaves, grass, and moss grow back where you pass and the earth itself moves to fill your footprints. You leave no noticeable traces of your passing, not even a scent. Normal attempts to track you (such as with Survival or ordinary dogs) automatically fail. The difficulty of attempts to track you by supernatural means, such as with Auspex, increases by two.

Efficient Digestion (3 points): Your internal vampiric systems work faster and more effectively than most, granting you more a greater yield from feeding. Gain an additional blood point for every two you consume.



Sturdy (4 points): Training, hardships, or natural ability have inured your body to pain and damage. While you are not necessarily a hulking brute, anyone who has seen you in action knows that you can take more damage than the average individual. You gain an additional Bruised health level and the Storyteller may award you with any appropriate bonuses when your innate toughness comes into play.



Mental Merits



Celestial Attunement (1 point): You innately know what time of day it is and are able to accurately guess the hour of sunrise and sunset within a few minutes. With a moment’s concentration, you may also estimate the position of the stars, even without the aid of a star chart.

Common Sense (1 point): You’ve got a good head on your shoulders and a natural aversion to foolish risk. In tense situations, you may ask the Storyteller for hints about the most reasonable course of action. The Storyteller may also grant you a warning against poorly considered actions.



Literacy (1 point): You are a learned scholar, able to both read and write. The Merit assumes that you can read and write with fluency in your native tongue, as well as Latin and any languages you may have gained through the Multi-Lingual Merit. In some chronicles, literacy can be assumed. In these cases, Illiteracy becomes a 1-point Flaw.

Eidetic Memory (2 points): With but a moment’s reflection, you can recall anything you’ve observed or experienced in clear detail. In a stressful or dangerous situation, this recollection may require a Perception + Alertness roll.

Light Sleeper (2 points): When you rest, you retain a level of alertness above and beyond the norm. You wake at any unwanted disturbance in your environment, thereby making it very hard to surprise you while you sleep. You automatically succeed at any rolls to detect mundane attempts at surprise attacks while you sleep.



Multi-Lingual (2 points): Through patience, study, and/or immersion, you are able to speak another language or languages with native fluency. This represents a full command over the language. For each dot of Intelligence your character possesses, you may know one other language. You may also use this Merit to reflect secret codes, cants, jargon, or sign language as well. Additional languages increase the cost of this Merit by one point per language.



Social Merits



The Company of Saints and Heroes (1 point): Life (and possibly unlife) experiences have brought you close to august religious figures, political entities, and legendary heroes. They do truly know you and think well of you, but you are not necessarily close. Use the Allies background to represent a tighter relationship. This Merit allows you to name-drop your famous connection and reduce the difficulty to applicable Social rolls by one.

Prestigious Sire (1 point): The vampire who Embraced you is no ordinary Cainite. Your sire holds incredible clout among your clan (and possibly others), and this social fortune has been bestowed upon you as well. Others generally treat you with more respect when they learn who sired you. When acting in your sire’s name or on your sire’s behalf, decrease the difficulty of Social rolls with other Cainites by one. Note, however, that others may also expect more from you, simply for being the childe of greatness.

Debt of Gratitude (1 or 3 points): Though he may grudgingly admit it, an elder is in your debt. At 1 point, the elder owes you a favor. Work together with the Storyteller to determine what type of favor is owed and what you did to earn such a thing. At 3 points, the indebted elder owes you his unlife. Such an incident is extraordinarily unusual, so the elder likely despises being beholden to you. Work with the Storyteller to detail how (and why) this happened.

Lingua Franca (1 point): You are able to speak a mixed language made of common tongues that most people you encounter will understand. You may not be able to hold philosophical discussions, but you can navigate your way through conversations in most places and will be able to communicate sufficiently in dire situations.

Patron (1 to 5 points): You are fortunate enough to have a personage of some wealth and power who is willing to sponsor your endeavors. Presumably, your Patron is fond of you and is willing to offer you material goods to further whatever agreed upon goal you may have, so long as you do not abuse their favor. The scale of this Merit pertains both to the power of your Patron and how close they are to you. A 1-point Patron could be a distant but powerful vampire or an enthusiastic, wealthy mortal who has infrequent funds. A 3-point Patron might be a mortal prince or queen, or a vampire of some standing more willing to regularly fund or champion you, while a 5-point Patron is almost certainly supernatural and has vast resources at their disposal. This is not something for nothing, however, and every so often (with increasing frequency directly proportional to the points invested in this Merit) your Patron will ask something of you. It is generally unwise to say no.



Supernatural Merits



Darksight (2 point): Your character sees in the darkness the way others see in light. Even in the complete absence of light, she sees perfectly. She suffers no penalties for darkness. Additionally, she catches glimpses of the otherworldly. She sees ghosts as if they were material, but only while in the dark. More than a candle’s light negates this ability.



Inoffensive to Animals (1 point): Not all of the curses of unlife have fallen upon you. Your presence does not disturb natural animals; instead, they treat you as they would any ordinary mortal. This will not stop a mother bear from defending her den, but will negate the inconvenience of having to explain why the farmer’s dog is so afraid of you. Creatures with a connection to the occult (such as crows, owls, or black cats) may still react to your presence, but not in a bad way.



Lucky (1 to 5 points): Fortune smiles upon you. The variable point costs reflect just how much you have been blessed by luck. At 1 point, the trifles of everyday life rarely seem to affect you. At 3 points, you are a gambling den’s nightmare. At 5 points, you live a truly charmed life, misfortune seemingly passing you by at every turn. For each point invested in this Merit, you gain one reroll per day. You may reroll any roll except a roll to resist falling from your Road, but you must take the second result.

Clan Apostate (2 points): Having undergone the Baali Rite of Apostasy, you now belong to a brood. Replace any one in-clan Discipline with Daimoinon but also gain the Baali clan weakness in addition to your default clan weakness. You still pass for a member of your former clan with relative ease, and anyone you Embrace will also belong to your original clan. You do not lose levels in the Discipline you chose in exchange for Daimoinon, but further levels in that Discipline are purchased at out-of-clan cost. 



Medium (2 points): Ghosts, spirits, and shades speak to you. You may have had this talent in your mortal life, or it may be a new ability granted by your Embrace. By spending a moment in meditation, you may ask the spirits who visit you for their aid. They are ready and willing to help you in whatever way they can (most often by providing information), but they always ask a favor in return. The severity of this favor should be in line with the task given to the spirits.



Oracular Ability (3 points): Signs, omens, and portents reveal themselves to you, attuned to the occult as you are. You might be trained in a specific school of divination, or the workings of fate may reveal themselves to you unbidden. When an omen manifests itself, whether through applied practice or a casual encounter, you immediately recognize it for what it is. The Storyteller will give the vague impressions the sign leaves upon you, which you may interpret on the fly as you wish. Studying the omen further to gain more relevant information requires time to think and a Perception or Intelligence + Enigmas roll.

Spirit Mentor (3 points): A ghost has chosen to guide and protect you. This ghost could be the soul of a departed loved one, a former teacher, or close friend or something more sinister, such as a spirit you have bound through dark rituals. The mentor offers you tutelage and support in the same way a mortal or Cainite mentor might, though perhaps less restricted by the conventions of society and the inconveniences of (un)living flesh. Your spirit mentor may also need to be called upon by a specific rite or an incantation. With a suitable explanation and Storyteller permission, this Merit may also be used to represent the mentorship or another kind of supernatural creature.

Unbondable (3 points): The stilled blood within you refuses to be compelled. You cannot be bound via the Blood Oath. This does not render you immune to any other source of mental influence, however. If your character is of Clan Tremere, you may not take this Merit.



True Love (4 points): Transcendent love binds you to another and vice versa. You have the kind of relationship found only in legends and bardsong. There is nothing you would not do for each other. This depthless, unconditional love grants you tremendous might, making you able to overcome impossible obstacles. Once per story, you may automatically succeed on any one roll, no matter how many successes it would require, so long as it is done on your beloved’s behalf. If your lover is a Storyteller character, he or she may do the same as if he or she possessed this Merit. If your lover is another player character, he or she must also take this Merit. True Love is not one-sided.

Nine Lives (6 points): By some wicked fortune, you are extremely difficult to permanently kill. When a roll would result in your death, immediately reroll it. If the roll succeeds, you walk away from the lethal incident alive, but down one life. You may reroll such near-fatal rolls up to nine times. When your second chances are expended, you will face Final Death like anyone else.

V20 Dark Ages Companion Merits: Pg 100

Tracker’s Mark (2pt. Merit) Well attuned to the soul of her quarry, the Salubri’s third eye sees the influence of her opponent in the world, rather than mere signs of his physical passage. When attempting a tracking roll (see V20 Dark Ages, page 337,) the Salubri’s player rolls at -2 difficulty. Ephemeral signs of a quarry are considered valid evidence to follow, even if a Salubri cannot normally detect them; for example, if an irate Brujah disturbed a market’s peace, the Warrior can discern his presence from the still-irritated traders hours later, making the intuitive leap to relate the event to her quarry’s passing.

Blooded by the Code (5pt. Merit) Inducted by a true Salubri Warrior, rather than a mere member of the bloodline, the young Cyclops possesses supernatural might far in excess of what she might otherwise wield. She is allowed to purchase and use the Discipline power Song of the Blooded at normal cost (45 experience points), irrespective of Generation. No other Valeren Discipline power may be purchased unless the Salubri otherwise qualifies for it. Additionally, her Status is accounted as two higher when interacting with other Salubri.



Ravnos Jati (2pt. Merit) You belong to a widely-recognized Ravnos jati, affording you some measure of status with your Clan members. Whenever you interact with another Vagabond, treat your Status as one level higher; if they also belong to your jati, treat your
Background as two levels higher and your Allies, Contacts, or Mentor as one higher where your jati is concerned. Once per session, if you’re in a city with a significant Ravnos population, you can find one member of your jati with no issue, who will likely help you out with no questions asked. Once per chapter, a member of your jati will seek you out for help with a troublesome and dangerous task. 



New Social Merits:



Vassal (1-5; Special) One or more vassals serve your character in exchange for patronage and favor. For each point of this Merit, your character receives 2 dots of Backgrounds to use as a liege, but she must offer half as many Background dots. Some of these form an Anchor Background combined with some of the vassal’s offered Background dots, settling a limit on the combined Backgrounds the vassal enjoys. This takes place under the terms of an oath of fealty devised by the player and Storyteller.



Settlement (1-5; Special) The character reigns over a well-developed settlement. The player may choose to either purchase this Merit (indicating a pre-existing settlement) or earn it through developing territory. Each level possesses the minimum Populace/Herd Merit dot required to support it, as well as the time needed to develop it. If the Herd/Populace rating drops below the necessary level, the settlement shrinks. This Merit must be purchased once for each significant settlement. The primary benefit of a settlement is that it provides its rating in Resources and Influence dots. These are counted separately from the character’s other Backgrounds, and don’t stack with them except under the rules for feudal relationships and Anchor Backgrounds. The Merit can be measured on a 1 to 5-point scale, as follows:



1 Hamlet (Populace/Herd • to ••; six months). This settlement includes a church, well-maintained roads, and simple facilities for industry, such as a smithy or mill.

2 Village (Populace/Herd ••• to ••••; one year). A village contains room for several local-scale industries and storage.



3 Town (Populace/Herd ••••• to ••••••; five years). A town is a larger version of a village, and usually supports simple fortifications and a market.



4 City (Populace/Herd ••••••• to ••••••••; 10 years). Cities possess walls, multiple industries, sophisticated markets, and migrants. Half or more of a city’s population exceeds the numbers indicated by Herd/Populace dots. These don’t provide free dots however, as they possess weak fealty to their lords, and might be transient or criminal.



5 Great City (Populace/Herd ••••••••• to ••••••••••; 20+ years). After a generation or more, a city might evolve into a rare population center with 100,000 inhabitants or more. The Populace/Herd rating only covers a fraction of the inhabitants, who defy easy counting or rule.

Existing Merits and Flaws V20 provides numerous Merits and Flaws for vampires. Despite this comprehensive list, not all of them are appropriate for ghouls or revenants. The Storyteller is free to override this list if she sees fit, but should make exceptions for good reason.
The following Merits are recommended for ghouls and revenants:
• Physical: Acute Sense, Ambidextrous, Bruiser, Catlike Balance, Friendly Face, Daredevil.
• Mental: Coldly Logical, Common Sense, Concentration, Introspection, Language, Time Sense, Useful Knowledge, Eidetic Memory, Calm Heart, Iron Will, Precocious.
• Supernatural: Magic Resistance, Lucky, Oracular Ability.

These Merits are disallowed for use when creating a ghoul or revenant:
• Mental: Prey Exclusion.
• Physical: Blush of Health, Efficient Digestion.
• Social: Former Ghoul, Prestigious Sire, Clan Friendship, Primogen/Bishop Friendship.
• Supernatural: Additional Discipline, Hidden Diablerie.

Mental

Loyalty (5pt. Merit): Denotes a revenant's exceptional and rare allegiance to a particular vampire or Clan, which stands out given revenants' general wariness of forming such bonds. This loyalty is highly regarded within the vampire community, often resulting in the revenant gaining favor and trust from the Clan that oversees their family. The revenant might receive occasional rewards and greater freedom to pursue personal interests, as their actions are seen as aligned with the Clan's objectives. This Merit is particularly advantageous for a revenant being considered for the Embrace, especially if they are familiar with their prospective sire.
Source: Ghouls Pg 126-7.

Social

Benevolent Domitor (3pt. Merit): For reasons unbeknownst to you, your domitor is fond of you. Perhaps your service has been exemplary, or you simply remind your master of a past love. Given the alien nature of a vampire’s mind, you may never know for sure, but you do not begrudge the benefits you’ve gained from your master’s feelings toward you. You feel safe in your master’s care, and do not dread spending night after night fulfilling your duties. Your domitor treats you with a measure of faux compassion, and does not casually endanger your life. Unlike the relationship between other masters and their ghouls, this Merit does not represent a temporary phase. You have already proven yourself to your master. Thus, your relationship is akin to a friendship between a great boss and his employee. Though this Merit shapes how your domitor treats you, it does not guarantee that you will never run afoul of your master. You may, at your Storyteller’s discretion, lose the right to keep this Merit should your actions necessitate such a decision over time.

Prerequisite: Domitor Background.
Source: Ghouls Pg 129.

Groomed for Embrace (5pt. Merit): Indicates that your character is being carefully prepared for eventual Embrace into vampirism by a future sire, who is likely your current domitor. This preparation elevates your status among other ghouls, positioning you as a valued apprentice rather than a mere servant. Depending on the Clan, this grooming might involve training in lore, Disciplines, or other relevant skills. However, this privilege can also attract jealousy from other ghouls and potentially dangerous attention from enemies of your future sire. Additionally, your domitor may test your worthiness by fostering rivalry among ghouls. If the Merit is purchased, it can be accompanied by the "Benevolent Domitor" Merit at a reduced cost, signaling a committed mentor-mentee relationship. At the Storyteller's discretion, you might also learn an additional Discipline or prepare to follow a Path instead of adhering to Humanity.
Source: Ghouls Pg 129.

Vicissitude Modifications (1-7pt. Merit): Represents a ghoul or revenant who has been physically altered through the use of the Vicissitude Discipline. These modifications, often grotesque and monstrous, provide various benefits but also come with significant drawbacks, including a permanent Appearance rating of 0 and the necessity of taking the Monstrous Flaw.

Available Modifications:
Circular Vision (1pt.):

Benefit: An eye has been moved to the back of the head, granting wider visual coverage and potential bonuses to Perception, especially against sneak attacks.
Drawback: Poor depth perception, resulting in a two-die penalty on rolls involving distance judgment, such as using projectile weapons.
Fangs (1pt.):

Benefit: Enhanced teeth for biting attacks, useful in combat.
Drawback: A reduction of two dice in Manipulation pools unless intimidating or scaring targets, due to a frightening appearance.
Iron Stomach (2pts.):

Benefit: Ability to digest any organic material, with a +2 bonus on Stamina rolls to resist ingested poisons and illnesses.
Drawback: Typically accompanies the Fangs modification, reinforcing a monstrous appearance.
Spurs (2pts.):

Benefit: Bone spurs on the body (e.g., forearms, spine, calves) can be used to deal Str + 2 damage.
Drawback: Spurs are hard to conceal and may restrict mobility.
Carapace (3pts.):

Benefit: Bony or spiky plates provide two additional soak dice against physical harm.
Drawback: Not specified, but likely includes a severe impact on appearance and potential mobility issues.
Patagia (4pts.):

Benefit: Skin membranes allow for gliding, though not true flight.
Drawback: Reduced soak dice (one less die) against blunt and concussive damage due to fragile, hollowed bones.
General Drawbacks and Conditions:
Monstrous Appearance: All characters with these modifications have an Appearance rating of 0 and must take the Monstrous Flaw.
Potential Mental Flaws: The character may also need to take a Mental Flaw, a penalty to Social rolls, or suffer from a Derangement due to the psychological impact of their transformation.
Vulnerability: The modifications are permanent and cannot be healed like normal injuries. Healing or altering the modifications requires a level of Vicissitude higher than the original modification.
Story and Roleplay Considerations:
Social Consequences: Characters with Vicissitude Modifications are likely to be viewed as monsters, affecting their interactions and relationships.
Dependency and Control: Ghouls with these modifications are often bound to vampires who control Vicissitude, and may be used as weapons or tools in conflicts.
This Merit represents a significant commitment to a specific character concept, involving both physical and psychological challenges.
Source: Ghouls Pg 134-5.

Supernatural

Pale Aura (2pt. Merit): Due to some quirk of fate or your reaction to the Blood, your aura is naturally pale. Any color your character’s aura takes has a pale cast to it, as if you were a vampire and not a ghoul. Vampires reading your aura with the use of the Auspex Discipline may assume you are a vampire unless they gain five or more successes on an Aura Perception roll, or have strong reason to suspect otherwise. This Merit can be of great use if you wish to impersonate a vampire for a time, but can also cause a dangerous misunderstanding or lead to your capture for further scrutiny. Source: Ghouls Pg 137.

Clear-Sighted (4pt. Merit): Your ghoul is not easily fooled by illusions and tricks of the light. Whether you were born lucky, have supernatural assistance, or proper training to brush aside such influences, your character has a knack for overcoming the phantasms, shadows, and mirages others create through the use of thaumaturgical rituals and Disciplines. This Merit is only applicable for visible tricks of deceit caused by the use of Disciplines. When faced with a supernatural illusion caused by the use of Disciplines such as Obfuscate and Chimestry, your ghoul may make a Perception + Alertness roll (difficulty equal to your opponent’s power’s level +3). If successful, your character sees right through the effect. If you fail, you might suspect the illusion is a trick, but you cannot prove your suspicious are correct.
Source: Ghouls Pg 137.

Poisonous Blood (5pt. Merit): Due to mysterious circumstances, your character’s blood is poisonous to vampires. Should any vampire drink from you, every blood point imbibed causes one health level of bashing damage. Vampires naturally resent mortals known to possess this blessing and may well seek their destruction. Ghouls or revenants with this Merit may expect a similar reaction, since blood does not have any impact on Poisonous Blood. Other times, a scheming vampire might capture the character and use her as bait to physically harm a rival or enemy. This Merit is also recommended for independent ghouls or revenants who wish to remain free from vampiric influence. Storytellers are encouraged to have an explanation for Poisonous Blood in their chronicles, though the player (and likely character) may not be immediately privy to such knowledge. Some examples include: holy protection from a higher power, a rare ritual of protection, or a genetic abnormality.
Source: Ghouls Pg 137.

Unbondable (6pt. Merit): You cannot be Bound to a vampire, no matter how often you drink blood from the regnant’s veins. The Unbondable Merit is useful for characters that do not wish to suffer the effects of the blood bond. Thus, its cost is accordingly high for ghouls and revenants. The Unbondable Merit is particularly appropriate for independent ghouls, and would go far to explain how they were able to break free. To the vast majority of vampires, however, any character that is Unbondable can never be trusted. This Merit, while it may seem ideal at first glance, would mean your ghoul’s life would be difficult and probably short-lived. Vampires from the Tremere and Tzimisce Clans might even go so far as to wipe out or experiment on you and your family with this Merit, while other Clans and bloodlines may want to drain you of blood to replicate its properties for their use. Such a powerful Merit is extremely rare. Before selecting this Merit, check with your Storyteller to see if this is viable for your chronicle. Source: Ghouls Pg 137-8.

Virulent Strike (7pt. Merit): Through strange thaumaturgical sorcery, unknown rituals, or even an odd quirk of your physiology, your blood has been imbued with the power of the supernatural. You can cause Aggravated Damage to supernatural creatures by striking them, biting them, or raking them with bonecrafted spurs. This is considered standard Brawl Damage against mortals, and should normally apply to only one attack form (bite, bone claws, etc.). You should work with the Storyteller to find an explanation for this Merit, and the Storyteller may disallow this Merit entirely if she so chooses. Source: Ghouls Pg 138.

Asset

Occult Library (2 or 4pt. Merit): Your character owns a valuable collection of books and ancient tomes about the arcane. Whenever your ghoul accesses your library, you may lower the difficulty of Intelligence, Occult, or research-related rolls by 1 in relevant circumstances. You might be attempting to find out more information about a thaumaturgical ritual, or you might be trying to identify a strange symbol. Having this library doesn’t automatically mean your ghoul is an occult expert, nor does it reflect your ability to decipher, understand, or read the texts you’ve collected. Your library is stocked with recorded knowledge you can conveniently refer to. If you have purchased the 4-point version of this Merit, your character also has access to an Occult Laboratory stocked with rare, mysterious ingredients needed to perform the rituals described in your books. Ghouls in service to the Tremere, Followers of Set, or Assamite Clans, in addition to revenants from the Obertus or Ducheski families, are good candidates to acquire this Asset.
Source: Ghouls Pg 139.

Beckett's Jyhad Diary Merits Pg 142.

Seers



Seer (4 pt. Merit) You have flashes of insight that allow you to see patterns and portents of the Jyhad. Whilst other Kindred live their unlives in ignorant bliss, you feel the full weight of the Ancients bear down on you. You see patterns in the lines of someone’s face, currents of air, or dreams you have during the day. Whilst these patterns are ever present, they are couched in symbolism, and interpreting them requires a [Perception + Occult] roll. The difficulty of this roll varies from six to nine, depending on the complexity of the pattern. Seeing the immediate future is difficulty 7, whilst unraveling diffuse manipulations is difficulty 9. Close familiarity with the people involved, or a recurrence of the same pattern, lowers the difficulty by one. If the roll is successful, the player asks the Storyteller a question about the omens observed. More successes yield more information (i.e. “That man is your enemy” versus “That man is your enemy, because he hates your sire”). Failure yields no information, while a botch yields perfectly believable yet false information. This Merit grants insight into Cainite affairs only, though these are widespread indeed. Your Storyteller is encouraged to use this Merit to foreshadow events, reveal plot threads, or simply reiterate missed clues. Alternatively, you can ask the Storyteller if you see a pattern around a subject. You must have the 15th Generation, 16th Generation, or Thin Blood Flaw to purchase and retain this Merit.

Supernatural

Supernatural Kinfolk (4-5 pt. Merit)

This Merit is not intended for mortal Kinfolk. If, however, you intend to play a vampire, mage, wraith, or changeling character who is also Kinfolk, you must purchase this Merit. Despite your supernatural status, your Garou tribe (or other Changing Breed) accepts you as Kin. They may not rejoice in it, but they don’t automatically deny or reject you. Individuals outside your family, including other Garou, may not like you. Other tribes may not acknowledge you as Kin. Most Garou view mages as Gnosis-raiders. They see vampires as Wyrm-spawn, wraiths as un-natural, and changelings as untrustworthy. In fact, you may experience a conflict of interest in walking a fine line between your two supernatural worlds. You find, nevertheless, that there is merit in knowing about both your supernatural and your Kinfolk backgrounds.
Source(s): Kin Pg 64.

Supernatural Kinfolk costs four points for mages, changelings, and wraiths. Vampire Kinfolk costs 5 points due to the inherent hostility between Garou and Kindred. Sometimes even family ties are hard-pressed to bridge the gap between the two gestalts. Kinfolk characters created with the standard rule (i.e., those who are not either dead, Awakened, Embraced, or Kithain), may not have this Merit. It is reserved exclusively for characters constructed as wraiths, vampires, mages or changelings based upon the rules for those games.

Wyrm-Tainted (4 pt. Flaw)

Whether through your own twisted actions in the Wyrm’s service, an unfortunate hereditary blemish, or through sheer bad supernatural luck, you reek of Wyrm-taint. Because certain Gifts enable a Garou to identify you as marked by the Wyrm, most werewolves may try to kill you outright! This Flaw is not to be taken lightly. You should work with your Storyteller to determine how you acquired this taint, unless you want it to be a mystery to your character.
Source(s): Kin Pg 64.

Physical

Unscented (1 pt. Flaw)

For some reason, you have no noticeable body odor. Your scent is so faint as to be practically undetectable by animals and Garou. This may work to your advantage while hiding from scent-driven predators (and many humans may prefer a neutral-smelling person), this fact is a decided disadvantage among Garou. They are likely to instinctually distrust anyone without a scent, suspecting that he or she is using supernatural means to hide Wyrm taint. No Gifts, such as Scent of the True Form, can reveal you as Kinfolk. Among a group of people who rely heavily on their sense of smell, you have a distinct disability.
Source(s): Kin Pg 64.

This category is for Fomori, Kami, Drones and Gorgons
Supernatural
Unpossessed (Fomori and Drones only) (5pt. Merit): The spirit inside has an imperfect hold over your soul. Although you probably don't know it, you could survive the process of having the spirit removed - if you could find a way to initiate this process. As a side effect, your Autonomy is much harder to erode. Any powers you choose cost /one/ point of temporary Autonomy, not two. On the down side, if your permanent Autonomy ever drops below 6, you lose this Merit - the spirit takes complete control.
Source(s): Possessed A Players Guide, pg. 107

Banespeak (Fomori only) (3pt. Merit): Your bane speaks to the tattered remains of your soul. Your character speaks to itself, and the bane responds with potential clues to assist in your current situation.
Source(s): Freak Legion A Players Guide to Fomori, pg. 22

Stigmata of the Wyrm (Fomori only) (4pt. Merit): These are marks of the Urge Wyrms which sometimes commune with favored servants. To "win" one, a fomor must first understand the aspects of the Wyrm (which indicates some level of insanity to begin with), then contact her own inner corruption (to discover which aspect favors her), manifest that Urge in word, body and deed, and often undergo some hideous ordeal of consecration.
Seeking the Wyrm within often requires a perverted vision-quest; this usually involves breaking away from all friends (including other fomori), and indulging in some excess related to the vision your character seeks until some truth appears. These excesses can include killing sprees, near fatal drug binges, wanton cruelty (brutalizing homeless folks, children, animals, etc), prolonged depressions, psychotic episodes, mad orgies, and other deadly activities. At some point, a vision of the Urge Wyrm's Maeljin Incarna appears to the fortunate one and sends her through some excruciating test of loyalty; such ordeals are related to the Urge Wyrm involved - tests of greed, cruelty, deceit, etc. A fomor who survives the tests (many do not) receives the mark of favor.
Like the tests, the stigmata marks relate to the Urge Wyrm the character serves: Pseulak, Lord of Lies, often gifts his chosen with forked tongues. Karnala, Desire's Urge, has more attractive marks, often hypnotically intriguing tattoos. Foebok gifts his followers with forever open eyes, while Angu's mark consists of massive brands which never heal. The exact nature of the mark is left to the troupe's imagination, but it should reflect some appropriately deviant behavior. Stigmata can be really useful in social situations with others who understand the mark; Black Spiral Dancers may revere the chosen (or may kill her anyway - they are demented, after all!), and Pentex superiors and Wyrm mystics will give her respect. Even mundanes who embrace the Urge Wyrm's principles will regard the chosen one with a measure of awe and reverence. Stigmata are usually good for one to three extra dice for Social skills when dealing with the Wyrm Tainted. Naturally the character will stand out like a beacon to Sense Wyrm and other such Gifts, and must continue to serve the Urge Wyrm whenever possible.
Source(s): Freak Legion: A Player's Guide to Fomori, pg. 22

True Symbiote (4pt. Merit):Possessed? Maybe, but by sharing your mind and body with a spirit, you've discovered your place in life. You have been very accommodating to the spirit inside you, and it appreciates this.
This appreciation manifests in game terms in two ways. For one thing, the spirit is more accessible, regardless of how much of your Autonomy you retain (-1 difficulty on all Symbiosis rolls). More importantly, if you possess Taints, your tenant recognizes the need to shed them occasionally. You may roll Willpower (difficulty 6) once per day. If successful, you are free from your Taints for one turn per success.
Source(s): Possessed A Players Guide, pg. 106

Spirit’s Mark (Merit) (2pt. Merit):The spirit riding you bleeds over into the physical world a bit. You aren't physically any different (not as a result of this Trait, anyway) but you exude a certain aura.
What exactly that aura feels like depends on a) whether Spirit's Mark is a Merit or a Flaw and b) what kind of spirit possesses you. An attractive fomor might reek of pure lust, granting a -2 on all Seduction-related difficulties. A Kami possessed by a predator-spirit might engender a feeling similar to the Curse in humans (+1 to Social difficulties not related to Intimidation). The Storyteller should work with the player to decide what kind of feeling the character gives off and how it translates into game play. Generally, it should be worth a difficulty adjustment of 1 or 2, depending on how specific the feeling is..
This can also be a flaw. Source(s): Possessed A Players Guide, pg. 106

Physical
Hidden Power (2pt. Merit):All of your powers and Taints are concealable. Whether you're a fomor with slimy tentacles or a Kami with needle-sharp teeth, you can concentrate for a moment and retract, cover, or otherwise hide any of the modifications the spirit inside you has made.
Source(s): Possessed A Players Guide, pg. 106

Physical
Cast Iron Stomach (1pt. Merit) Beasts must often forage for sustenance; as a consequence, some have learned to be less picky than others. Like a goat or a shrew, you can eat anything remotely similar to food and gain nourishment from it. Carrion, straw, bones; it's all dinner. As for the smell, well, you get used to it...
Source(s): Bygone Bestiary, pg. 108


Mental
Fearlessness (1 or 3pt. Merit) Like the eagle, which stares into the blinding sun rather than back down, you fear nothing and nobody. Yours is the heart of the lion who fights the dragon to a standstill despite his hatred of fire. System: In game terms, you may easily resist all attempts to frighten and intimidate you and yours. Facing supernatural threats or fear-based magic, your effective Willpower is increased by two. For one point, you have one fear that negates this Merit (an elephant's fear of the mouse, for example); for three points, you fear nothing.
Source(s): Bygone Bestiary, pg. 106


Supernatural
Homing Instinct (2 or 4pt. Merit) Like the fabled hound who follows his lost mistress across a kingdom, you have an innate sense of direction when the destination involves home or a loved one. Even when vast distances separate you from your home or friend you can, with time, find your way there.
This Merit is not a supernatural power, nor is it a medium for transpiration - you must cover all distances and surmount all obstacles yourself. Assuming you can do that, the Homing Instinct will lead you to your destination, despite hundreds of miles, bitter weather, and even imprisonment. In game terms, you might have to make a Perception + Awareness roll when some major setback or obstacle (a mountain range, a blizzard, a long delay, etc.) blocks your path.
The roll's difficulty depends on the obstacle's severity:
Difficulty Circumstances
6 Normal Circumstances
7 Harsh weather or terrain Major obstacles/Erased trail
9 Vast distances (500+ miles) Supernatural obstacles
+1 Per month of separation
When you choose the Instinct, select one "target", either a location or a character that you've forged a bond with. Such bonds take time and affection to make - they cannot be "set" and "reset" with a simple decision. For two points, this Merit allows you to track your subject anywhere in the mortal world; for four points, you can follow it anywhere, even into the Otherworlds, as long as you have some way to travel there.
Source(s): Bygone Bestiary, pg. 107

My Master is My Slave

Points

5 pt. Social Merit

Description

Everyone thinks your mage commands you. And everyone is wrong. Though he might indeed believe he’s the one calling the shots in this relationship, he’s wrong. Better still, he gets the blame for whatever it is you choose to do, and though he’d like to think he can take you down if need be, you possess enough leverage (of one form or another) to ruin him if you so choose. Obviously, this Merit applies only to situations where an Awakened mage has a familiar, a servant, a retainer, a child, a ward, or else some other sort of apparently dependent character for which he is responsible. That mage has you as Background character, and you dutifully fulfill that role when it suits your purposes to do so. You’ve got your own agendas, though, and the power dynamic lets you get away with them unless you’re really careless about your true intentions. To keep the upper hand, you’ll have to be clever; that said, you can be a real prick behind closed doors. Your mage considers you a useful burden, but he’s the useful one here and once you’ve gotten what you wanted from this relationship, you’ll ditch the burden too.
(Please don’t use this Merit to be a jerk to your fellow players. Consent is awesome. Thank you.
M20 Gods and Monsters p.195

Flaws

GeneralVampireGhoulWerewolfKinfolkMagesChangelingsFeraPossessedBygonePsychic/Sorcerer

Mental

Airhead (1 pt. Flaw) Your personal concerns are so important that you tend to be clueless about the real world or what is going on around you. This may be your means of avoiding problems or retreating from your fears; nevertheless, you don’t often use your brain to its best advantage — or any advantage, it seems. Those who know you describe you as “spacey,” and their patience often wears thin around you. You fade in and out of conversations, insert non sequiturs, or just plain fail to get it. The Garou and even your own Kin make fun of you behind your back.
Source(s): Kin Pg 64.

Flashbacks (1-3 pt. Flaw) You may have left the battlefield, but it never left you. Alternately, you survived a traumatic catastrophe in your childhood or some other time in your past. Whatever the source of your “episodes,” you re-live the horror of those hideous moments as if they were happening all around you.

- As a one-point Flaw, you have momentary flashes of the event, enough to rattle you for a single action or a few minutes.
- As a two-point Flaw, the flashback can last as long as an entire scene and requires action on the part of someone you trust to bring you back to the present. No roll is required.
- As a three-point Flaw, you feel the terror anew and you struggle to get away from it as you did way back when. Everyone around you becomes part of your horror scenario. A family member or close friend may try up to three times to bring you back using a contested Willpower roll. After that, you need professional help. Medications may reduce the difficulty of bringing you back to speed by lowering your Willpower, but only for purposes of calming you down.
Source(s): Kin Pg 64.

Nightmares (1pt. Flaw) You experience horrendous nightmares every time you sleep, and memories of them haunt you during your waking hours. Upon awakening, you must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) or lose a die on all actions for that night. A botched Willpower roll indicates that, even when awake, you still believe that you are locked in a nightmare.
Source(s): V20 Pg 485.

Shy (1pt. Flaw): You are distinctly ill at ease when dealing with people and try to avoid social situations whenever possible. Difficulties for all rolls involving social interaction with strangers are increased by two. If the character becomes the center of attention in a large group, difficulties are increased by three.
Source(s): V20 Pg 485.

Speech Impediment (1pt. Flaw): You have a stammer or other speech impediment that hampers verbal communication. The difficulties of all die rolls involving verbal communication are increased by two. This Flaw must be roleplayed whenever possible.
Source(s): V20 Pg 485.

Amnesia (2pt. Flaw): You are unable to remember anything about your past, yourself, or your family (whether mortal or vampiric), though your past might well come back to haunt you. Your origins and the circumstances behind your amnesia are for the Storyteller to determine, and she is encouraged to make it as interesting as possible.
Source(s): V20 Pg 486.

Phobia (2pt. Flaw): You have an overpowering fear of something. Spiders, snakes, crowds, and heights are examples of common phobias. You must make a Courage roll every time you encounter the object of your fear. The difficulty of the roll is determined by the Storyteller. If you fail the roll, you must retreat from the object.
Source(s): V20 Pg 486.

Physical

Deaf (4pt. Flaw): You cannot hear. While you may be more resistant to some applications of Dominate, you also may not listen to electronic or vocal media, and the difficulties of many Perception rolls are increased by three.
Hard of Hearing (1pt. Flaw): Your hearing is defective. The difficulties of any rolls involving the use of hearing are increased by two.
Source(s): V20 Pg 480.

Short (1pt. Flaw): You are well below average height — four and a half feet (1.5 meters) tall or less. You have difficulty reaching or manipulating objects designed for normal adult size, and your running speed is one-half that of an average human.
Source(s): V20 Pg 481.

Tic/Twitch (1pt. Flaw): You have some sort of repetitive motion that you make in times of stress, and it’s a dead giveaway as to your identity. Examples include a nervous cough, constantly wringing your hands, cracking your knuckles, and so on. It costs one Willpower to refrain from engaging in your tic.
Source(s): V20 Pg 481.

Bad Sight (1 or 3pt. Flaw): Your sight is defective. The difficulties of any die rolls involving the use of your eyesight are increased by two. As a one-point Flaw, this condition can be corrected with glasses or contacts; as a three-point Flaw, the condition is too severe to be corrected.
Source(s): V20 Pg 481.

Disfigured (2pt. Flaw): A hideous disfigurement makes your appearance disturbing and memorable. The difficulties of all die rolls relating to social interaction are increased by two. You may not have an Appearance rating greater than 2.
Source(s): V20 Pg 481.

One Eye (2pt. Flaw): You have only one eye — which eye is missing is up to you. The difficulties of all Perception rolls involving eyesight are increased by two, and the difficulties of all die rolls requiring depth perception are increased by one (this includes ranged combat).
Source(s): V20 Pg 481.

Addiction (3pt. Flaw): You suffer from an addiction to a substance, which must now be present in the blood you drink (or you automatically frenzy, as per the Prey Exclusion Flaw). This can be alcohol, nicotine, hard drugs, or simply adrenaline. This substance always impairs you in some fashion (see “Poisons and Drugs,” p. 301, for particulars).
Source(s): V20 Pg 482.

Deformity (3pt. Flaw): You have some kind of deformity — a misshapen limb, hunchback, or clubfoot, for example — which affects your physical abilities and interactions with others. A hunchback, for instance, would lower a character’s Dexterity by two dots and increase the difficulty of die rolls relating to social skills by one. It is the responsibility of the Storyteller to determine the specific effects of the deformity chosen.
Source(s): V20 Pg 482.

Lame (3pt. Flaw): Your legs are damaged, which prevents you from running or walking easily. You are forced to walk with a cane or possibly leg braces, and you have a pronounced limp to your stride. Your walking speed is one-quarter that of a normal human, and running is impossible.
Source(s): V20 Pg 482.

Lazy (3pt. Flaw): You are simply lazy, avoiding anything that requires effort on your part. Preferring to let others do the hard work, you lounge around. For any action that requires preparation, there’s a good chance you didn’t properly prepare. Difficulty rolls for spontaneous Physical actions (including combat, unless it’s part of a planned offensive) increase by one.
Source(s): V20 Pg 482.

Mute (4pt. Flaw): You cannot speak. You may communicate with the Storyteller and describe your actions, but cannot talk to player or Storyteller characters unless everyone concerned purchases a commonly understood sign language (via the Language Merit) or you write down what you wish to say.
Source(s): V20 Pg 483.

Blind (6pt. Flaw): You cannot see. Characters can compensate for the loss of vision by becoming more attuned to other sensory input, but visual cues and images are lost to them. Difficulties of all Dexterity-based rolls are increased by two. Oddly, vampires with Aura Perception (Auspex 2) are still able to use this ability, thought the information is interpreted via the other senses. On the other hand, vampires who need make eye contact to enact powers like Dominate against you are only at a penalty to do so (see the sidebar on p. 152).
Source(s): V20 Pg 484.

Social
Mistaken Identity (1pt. Flaw): You look similar to descriptions of another Kindred, which cause cases of mistaken identity. This can prompt numerous awkward or even dangerous situations, especially if your “twin” has a terrible reputation or is wanted for some crime.
Source(s): V20 Pg 490.

Enemy (1-5pt. Flaw): You have an enemy, or perhaps a group of enemies, who seek to harm you. The power of the enemy depends upon how many points the player wishes to spend (five points indicate the wrath of a Methuselah or other potent supernatural foe).
Source(s): V20 Pg 490.

Old Flame (2pt. Flaw): Someone you once cared deeply for is now with the enemy. He still attempts to play on your sympathies “for old times’ sake” while working against you. Unless you succeed on a contested Manipulation + Expression roll against your former friend, you cannot act against him unless the situation becomes life-threatening.
Source(s): V20 Pg 491.

Overextended (4pt. Flaw): You’ve got your fingers in too many pies, and people are starting to notice. You have too many ghouls, too many retainers, or too much influence, which means that a lot of people have a vested interest in trimming back your operations. These enemies take every opportunity to reduce your power and influence, and if that means lying, cheating, or killing, so be it. Furthermore, your enemies block every attempt you make to move into new areas of control. You’re boxed in, and the box is getting smaller.
Source(s): V20 Pg 492.

Physical

Hard of Hearing (1pt. Flaw): Your hearing is defective. The difficulties of any rolls involving the use of hearing are increased by two.
Source(s): V20 Pg 480.

Smell of the Grave (1pt. Flaw): You exude an odor of dampness and newly turned earth, which no amount of scents or perfumes will cover. Mortals in your immediate presence become uncomfortable, so the difficulties of all Social rolls to affect mortals increase by one.
Source(s): V20 Pg 481.

Fourteenth Generation (2pt. Flaw): You were created five or fewer years ago by a member of the Thirteenth Generation. Though you have 10 blood points in your body, only eight of them may be used to heal wounds, power Disciplines, raise Attributes, etc. You can still use the final two blood points for other purposes, though. The blood point costs of nightly rising, creating and sustaining ghouls, and creating blood bonds remains the same as for other vampires. You cannot raise any Discipline above four dots. Taking this Flaw precludes you from taking the Generation Background, and you may not start with Status, either. You are likely a Clanless Caitiff, for your blood is probably too thin to pass down the distinguishing characteristics of a Clan. Most Fourteenth-Generation vampires should also take the Thin Blood Flaw (p. 483).
Source(s): V20 Pg 481.

Fifteenth Generation (4pt. Flaw): Your vitae is so weak that only six of your 10 blood points can be used for Disciplines, healing or raising Attributes. For these functions, you must expend two blood points to obtain the effect a normal vampire would achieve with one. (The cost for nightly rising remains a single blood point.) What’s more, you cannot create or sustain ghouls, create a blood bond, or sire a vampiric childe. You can use the remaining four blood points to survive through the day and wake up each night, nothing more. You cannot raise any Discipline above three dots. The weakening of the Curse of Caine has compensations, though (which distinguish this Flaw from the Thin Blood Flaw itself). Sunlight does lethal damage to you, instead of aggravated damage as it does to other vampires. You can hold down mortal food and drink for an hour or so; other vampires vomit immediately if they try (unless they have the Eat Food Merit). Strangest of all, once in a while you might actually have a child the normal, human way... though it will hardly be a normal, human child.
Source(s): V20 Pg 481.

Dulled Bite (2pt. Flaw): For some reason your fangs never developed fully, or they may not have manifested at all. When feeding, you need to find some other method of making the blood flow. Failing that, you must achieve double the normal number of successes in order to make your bite penetrate properly. A number of Caitiff and high-Generation vampires often manifest this Flaw.
Source(s): V20 Pg 481.

Infectious Bite (2pt. Flaw): You may not automatically lick the wounds of your feeding closed. In fact, your bites have a one in five chance of becoming infected and causing mortal victims to become seriously ill. The precise nature of the infection is determined by the Storyteller.
Source(s): V20 Pg 481.

Vulnerability to Silver (2pt. Flaw): To you, silver is as painful and as deadly as the rays of the sun. You suffer aggravated wounds from any silver weapons (bullets, knives, etc.), and the mere touch of silver objects discomfits you.
Source(s): V20 Pg 482.

Open Wound (2 or 4pt. Flaw): You have one or more wounds that refuse to heal, and which constantly drip blood. This slow leakage costs you an extra blood point per evening (marked off just before dawn), in addition to drawing attention to you. If the wound is visible, you are at + 1 difficulty for all Social-based rolls. For two points, the Flaw is simply unsightly and has the basic effect mentioned above; for four points the seeping wound is serious or disfiguring and includes the effects of the Flaw Permanent Wound (below).
Source(s): V20 Pg 482.

Glowing Eyes (3pt. Flaw): You have the stereotypical glowing eyes of vampire legend, which gives you a -1 difficulty on Intimidation rolls when you’re dealing with mortals. However, the tradeoffs are many; you must constantly disguise your condition (no, contacts don’t cut it); the glow impairs your vision and puts you at +1 difficulty on all sightbased rolls (including the use of ranged weapons); and the radiance emanating from your eye sockets makes it difficult to hide (+2 difficulty to Stealth rolls) in the dark.
Source(s): V20 Pg 482.

Monstrous (3pt. Flaw): Your physical form was twisted during the Embrace, and now reflects the Beast that rages inside you. Characters with this Flaw appear to be savage monsters and have Appearance ratings of zero. Nosferatu and other bloodlines whose weaknesses cause them to start off with Appearance zero cannot take this Flaw
Source(s): V20 Pg 482.

Permanent Fangs (3pt. Flaw): Your fangs do not retract, making it impossible for you to hide your true nature. While some mortals may think you’ve had your teeth filed or are wearing prosthetics, sooner or later you’re going to run into someone who knows what you truly are. You are also limited to a maximum Appearance rating of 3.
Source(s): V20 Pg 482.

Permanent Wound (3pt. Flaw): You suffered injuries during your Embrace which your transformation somehow failed to repair. At the beginning of each night, you rise from sleep at the Wounded health level, though this may be healed by spending blood points.
Source(s): V20 Pg 482-3.

Slow Healing (3pt. Flaw): You have difficulty healing wounds. It requires two blood points to heal one health level of bashing or lethal damage, and you heal one health level of aggravated damage every five days (plus the usual five blood points and Willpower expenditure).
Source(s): V20 Pg 483.

Disease Carrier (4pt. Flaw): Your blood carries a lethal and highly contagious disease. The disease can be anything from rabies to HIV, and Kindred who drink your blood have a 10% chance of becoming a carrier as well. You must spend an extra blood point each night on awakening, or you will begin manifesting symptoms of the disease (increased chance to frenzy for rabies, reduced soak rolls for HIV, etc.).
Source(s): V20 Pg 483.

Thin Blood (4pt. Flaw): Your blood is thin, weak, and does not sustain you well. All blood point costs are doubled (e.g., using blood-related Disciplines or healing damage), although you only lose one blood upon rising in the evening. Furthermore, you are unable to create a blood bond, and efforts to sire other vampires succeed only one in five times.
Source(s): V20 Pg 483.

Flesh of the Corpse (5pt. Flaw): Your flesh does not fully regenerate itself once it is damaged. While you are able to heal yourself to the point of regaining full functionality, your skin still retains the cuts, tears, bullet holes, and other visible damage that you have incurred. Depending on the nature of the damage, this Flaw will make social dealings exceedingly difficult, and may decrease your Appearance dots over time (even to 0).
Source(s): V20 Pg 483.

Infertile Vitae (5pt. Flaw): During your Embrace, something went horribly wrong, causing your blood to mutate under the stress of dying and rising again. All those you try to Embrace die. No matter what you do, you may not create any childer. However, your blood can still be used in blood rituals like Thaumaturgy and the Vaulderie, or for any other vampiric needs like making ghouls.
Source(s): V20 Pg 484.

Mental

Deep Sleeper (1pt. Flaw): When you sleep, it is very difficult for you to awaken. The difficulty of any roll to awaken during the day is increased by two.
Source(s): V20 Pg 485.

Impatient (1pt. Flaw): You have no patience for standing around and waiting. You want to do things now — fuck those slowpokes trying to hold you back. Every time you are forced to wait around instead of acting, a Self-Control roll is required to see if you go tearing off on your own instead.
Source(s): V20 Pg 485.

Prey Exclusion (1pt. Flaw): You refuse to hunt a certain class of prey. You might refuse to feed on drug dealers, policemen, accountants, or rich people — if you accidentally feed upon such an individual, you automatically frenzy and must make a roll to prevent Humanity or Path loss (difficulty 7). Witnessing other Kindred feeding on the object of your exclusion might also provoke a frenzy, at the Storyteller’s discretion. Ventrue, owing to the limitations already imposed on their feeding by their Clan weakness, may not take this Flaw.
Source(s): V20 Pg 485.

Soft-Hearted (1pt. Flaw): You cannot stand to watch others suffer. You avoid any situation that involves causing someone physical or emotional pain, unless you make a Willpower roll (difficulty 8). You must have a Humanity rating of 7 or above to take this Flaw — vampires on Paths of Enlightenment can only take this Flaw with Storyteller approval.
Source(s): V20 Pg 485.

Unconvinced (1pt. Flaw): You fail to see the need for the core ideologies of your Sect or Clan, and have gone on record as saying so. Taking your stand has made you suspect in the eyes of your superiors, and may have attracted the attention of your enemies as well.
Source(s): V20 Pg 485.

Lunacy (2pt. Flaw): You are affected by the phases of the moon, increasing your chances to frenzy. Under the crescent moon, difficulties to avoid frenzy increase by one. Under the half or gibbous moon, difficulties rise by two. When the moon is full, difficulties increase by three.
Source(s): V20 Pg 486.

Short Fuse (2pt. Flaw): You are easily angered. Difficulties to avoid frenzy are two greater. Brujah vampires cannot take this Flaw, as they already suffer from a similar weakness.
Source(s): V20 Pg 486.

Stereotype (2pt. Flaw): You buy heavily into all of the vampire stories you’ve read and heard. You wear a cape or body glitter, speak with an accent, and otherwise act in a cartoonish fashion. Such behavior is embarrassing in the extreme to other Kindred, who are likely to ostracize or mock you (+2 difficulty to Social rolls with other vampires who don’t share your habits). You also stand out to hunters.
Source(s): V20 Pg 486.

Territorial (2pt. Flaw): You are extremely territorial, staking out a particular area as your hunting ground and reacting aggressively to trespassers. If another vampire enters your territory uninvited, you must make a frenzy roll. If you fail, you immediately attack the interloper and continue attacking until the intruder is dead or has left your hunting grounds. You are reluctant to leave your territory except in desperate circumstances.
Source(s): V20 Pg 486.

Thirst for Innocence (2pt. Flaw) The sight of innocence — of any sort — arouses in you a terrible bloodlust. Roll Self-Control or Instinct, or else frenzy and attack the source of your hunger.
Source(s): V20 Pg 486.

Vengeful (2pt. Flaw) You have a score to settle, incurred either during your mortal days or after the Embrace. You are obsessed with taking your revenge on an individual or group, and it is your overriding priority in any situation where you encounter the object of your revenge. You may temporarily resist your need for vengeance by spending a Willpower point.
Source(s): V20 Pg 486.

Victim of the Masquerade (2pt. Flaw) The Camarilla’s propaganda machine did too good a job on you. Even after your Embrace you refused to believe you were a vampire. You remain convinced that there is some logical explanation for your condition, and spend as much time as you can searching for it. You also have problems feeding, and may insist on trying to eat regular food. None of these habits makes you particularly pleasant company for other Kindred. This Flaw must be roleplayed at all times, and is generally taken by Camarilla vampires.
Source(s): V20 Pg 486.

Weak-Willed (3pt. Flaw): You are highly susceptible to Dominate and intimidation by others; Dominate attempts automatically affect you unless the Discipline wielder is of higher Generation, and your difficulties to resist Social abilities such as Intimidation or Leadership, as well as mind-altering spells or magic, are increased by two. Your Willpower Trait may never rise above 4.
Source(s): V20 Pg 486.

Conspicuous Consumption (4pt. Flaw): It is not enough for you to draw nourishment from the blood of mortals — you believe you must also consume your victim’s heart, liver, and other blood-rich tissue. Of course, this will necessitate the deaths of all of your victims (unless you are extremely creative), which might lead to numerous problems with maintaining Humanity (and a low profile). Characters with this Flaw should additionally purchase the Eat Food Merit.
Source(s): V20 Pg 486.

Guilt-Wracked (4pt. Flaw): You simply cannot come to grips with the fact that you must drink blood to survive. You suffer horrible guilt over each time you feed (roll Conscience, difficulty 7, or else frenzy every time you feed — characters with the Conviction Virtue cannot take this Flaw) and try to avoid doing so as much as possible. This means that you rarely have much blood in your system, leaving you vulnerable to both attacks and hunger-based frenzies.
Source(s): V20 Pg 486.

Flashbacks (Vampire) (6pt. Flaw): You managed to make it through the Creation Rites or other similarly traumatic experience, but not wholly intact. The most insignificant thing can throw you into a different mood or state of mind, and as such your behavior is extremely unpredictable. Because of your precarious emotional state, your Willpower fluctuates. At the beginning of each story, make a Willpower roll (you may not spend Willpower for an automatic success). If you succeed, you may participate in the story as normal. If you fail, however, your Willpower score is considered to be 1 for the duration of that session, and you only have one Willpower point to spend. You may roll again at the beginning of the next session to see if you regain your Willpower.
Source(s): V20 Pg 487.

Social

Botched Presentation (1pt. Flaw): When your sire presented you to the Prince of the city, you flubbed it. Now you’re convinced His Majesty hates you (whether he does or not). You need to succeed on a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) just to stand in front of the Prince or one of his duly authorized representatives without running, blubbering, or otherwise making a fool of yourself. This Flaw can only be taken by Camarilla vampires.
Source(s): V20 Pg 489.

Dark Secret (1pt. Flaw): You have some sort of secret that, if uncovered, would be of immense embarrassment to you and would make you a pariah in the local Kindred community. This could be anything from having murdered an elder to being a member of the Anarchs.
Source(s): V20 Pg 489.

Expendable (1pt. Flaw): Someone in power doesn’t want you around. Maybe she wants territory you possess, or is jealous of the attention you’re getting from a prize mortal retainer — the details are irrelevant. What does matter is that she has the power to maneuver you into dangerous situations “for the good of the Sect,” and has no compunctions about doing so.
Source(s): V20 Pg 489.

Incomplete Understanding (1pt. Flaw): The whole matter has been explained to you, but you’re still not quite sure how things in your Sect work. Your imperfect understanding of the rules and regulations of your new existence means that sooner or later, you’re going to make a mistake. It’s only a matter of time….
Source(s): V20 Pg 490.

Infamous Sire (1pt. Flaw): Your sire was, and perhaps still is, distrusted and disliked by many of the city’s Kindred. As a result, you are distrusted and disliked as well.
Source(s): V20 Pg 490.

New Arrival (1pt. Flaw) You’ve just arrived in your new city of residence, and don’t know anyone in the place. Existing factions may try to recruit or eliminate you, while vampires in positions of authority size you up and take your measure. Meanwhile, your ignorance of the city’s current events, history, and politics (not to mention the personality quirks of the vampires already in place) may cause you to make a serious blunder.
Source(s): V20 Pg 490.

Recruitment Target (1pt. Flaw): Someone in one of your Sect’s enemy organizations wants you, and they want you bad. Every effort is being made to recruit you, willing or no, and the press gangs usually show up at the worst possible time.
Source(s): V20 Pg 490.

Sire’s Resentment (1pt. Flaw): Your sire dislikes you and wishes you ill. Given the smallest opportunity, she will actively seek to do you harm. Your sire’s allies also work against you, and many elders may resent you.
Source(s): V20 Pg 490.

Special Responsibility (1pt. Flaw): Shortly after your Embrace, you volunteered for some task in order to gain respect and approval from the vampires around you. Now, you wish you had never opened your damn mouth! While you are not given any special credit for performing this duty, you would lose a lot of respect if you were to stop. The nature and the details of your duty should be worked out with the Storyteller in advance. Ideas can range from lending money to other Kindred to acting as a messenger or possibly gathering victims for ritae (such as Blood Feasts).
Source(s): V20 Pg 490.

Sympathizer (1pt. Flaw): You have publicly expressed sympathy for some of the goals and policies of the enemies of your Sect. Your outspoken views on the subject have made you suspect in the eyes of the city’s hierarchy, and you may be suspected of (or arrested for) treason.
Source(s): V20 Pg 490.

Bound (2pt. Flaw): You are blood bound to another vampire. Your regnant may not necessarily treat you badly, but the fact remains that your will is not entirely your own. The knowledge gnaws at you, even as you find yourself lost in devotion to your vampiric master. Sabbat vampires cannot take this Flaw.
Source(s): V20 Pg 490.

Catspaw (2pt. Flaw): You’ve done dirty work for someone high up in the city’s hierarchy in the past — the Sheriff, the Bishop, or even someone higher. However, instead of granting you favor, your deeds have made you an embarrassment or a liability. For the moment, your former employer’s concern is to keep you quiet. In the long term, it’s to get rid of you.
Source(s): V20 Pg 490.

Escaped Target (2pt. Flaw): You had targeted a mortal for the Embrace, but someone else got there first. You cannot stand the humiliation of being cheated of your prize, and fly into a rage (+2 difficulty to avoid frenzy) whenever you see the one who got away. This hatred may lead you into other irrational behaviors, like Embracing enemies of the neonate, creating unauthorized childer, or even trying to kill your rival. Furthermore, your petty and irrational behavior is well-known and quite noticeable, and as a result you are at + 1 difficulty on all Charisma rolls until the situation is resolved.
Source(s): V20 Pg 491.

Expiration Date (2-pt. Flaw): RESTRICTED Ask Your Storyteller - Your personal motto is simple: I do what I want. This has, as might be expected, caused you trouble more than once. You are wanted in several domains for various minor crimes, such as exsanguinating the Seneschal’s favorite ghoul. You haven’t been bloodhunted just yet, but the writing is on the wall. You’ve just about run out of time and no one wants you to take them with you when everything turns sideways. One more mistake and you sign your Final Death warrant. All social-based rolls to acquire help are at +2 difficulty, except those involving Intimidation.
Source: Anarchs Unbound for V20 Pg 102.

Failure (2pt. Flaw): You once held a title in the city, but failed catastrophically in your duties. Now you are branded incompetent, excluded from circles of power and responsibility, and generally ostracized by those on their way up. Your exclusion may make you a target for recruitment by the Sect’s enemies (or so the whispers run, making you even more distrusted). Conversely, the consequences of your error might come back to haunt you.
Source(s): V20 Pg 491.

Masquerade Breaker (2pt. Flaw): In your first nights as a vampire, you accidentally broke the Masquerade — and were spotted doing so. Someone else covered for your mistake, but holds the favor over you. Now you exist in fear that your error will be revealed. In the meantime, your “savior” takes pitiless advantage of you. This Flaw can only be taken by vampires in Sects or Clans that respect the Masquerade.
Source(s): V20 Pg 491.

Hunted (4pt. Flaw): You are pursued by a fanatical witch-hunter who believes (perhaps correctly) that you are a danger to humanity. All those with whom you associate, be they mortal or Kindred, may be hunted as well.
Source(s): V20 Pg 491.

Rival Sires (2pt. Flaw): The flip side of Escaped Target, two vampires wanted to gift you with the Embrace. One succeeded, one failed — and she’s not happy about that failure. You, your actual sire, or both of you have become the target of the failed suitor’s ire. Regardless, your persecutor is at +2 difficulty to refrain from frenzy in your presence. In addition, she may well be working actively to discredit or destroy you.
Source(s): V20 Pg 491-2.

Uppity (2pt. Flaw): You are proud of your new status in the Sect — so proud that you’ve shot your mouth off to other Kindred and made some enemies. Wiser vampires laugh at you and chalk your rudeness up to youth, but others find you arrogant and insulting. These enemies will take action to embarrass or harm you. Furthermore, you are at +2 difficulty on all Social rolls against any vampires you have alienated through your yammering — and you may not know who they are. At Storyteller discretion, you may also be required to make a Willpower roll (difficulty 6) to keep your mouth shut any time the opportunity presents itself for you to brag about your pack, your Clan, or your status.
Source(s): V20 Pg 492.

Disgrace to the Blood (3pt. Flaw): Your sire regards the fact that he Embraced you to be a titanic mistake, and has let everyone know it. You are mocked at gatherings, taunted by your peers, and actively despised by the one who should be giving you guidance. Any request or petition you make is likely to be looked down upon by friends of your sire, and your achievements are likely to be discounted.
Source(s): V20 Pg 492.

Hunted Like a Dog (3pt. Flaw): Another Sect or group of vampires has decided that you’re a target for extermination, and pursues you relentlessly. On the bright side, the enemies of your enemy may well wish to help you out, potentially garnering you allies.
Source(s): V20 Pg 492.

Narc (3pt. Flaw): You are known to be a snitch, an informer firmly planted in the pocket of the vampires in charge. Those on whom you might yet inform loathe you as a result, feeding you misinformation when they can in an attempt to discredit you. Given the opportunity, they might do you mischief. Regardless, your reputation as a weasel precedes you, putting you at +1 difficulty on all Social rolls against those who don’t agree with your politics.
Source(s): V20 Pg 492.

Sleeping With the Enemy (3pt. Flaw): You have some sort of intimate connection with a member of an opposing Sect or inimical Clan. You may have a lover, a childe, a friend, or a contact working the other side of the fence, but regardless of politics you retain a friendly (or more than friendly) relationship with your putative foe. Your close ties to someone on the other side would be regarded as treason by your superiors within the Sect, and if you are discovered, the penalty will surely be death.
Source(s): V20 Pg 492.

Clan Enmity (4pt. Flaw): One Clan in particular wants you dead. You have offended the entire Clan, from elders to neonates, and as a result every member of that bloodline wants your head on a plate. The effects of the Flaw may manifest as anything from very public snubs and insults to actual attempts on your unlife. You are also at +2 difficulty on all Social rolls relating to members of the Clan in question.
Source(s): V20 Pg 492.

Loathsome Regnant (4pt. Flaw): Not only are you blood bound, but you are also in thrall to a vampire who mistreats you hideously. Perhaps you are publicly abused or humiliated; perhaps your master forces you to commit unspeakable acts for him. In any case, existence under the bond is a neverending nightmare, with your regnant serving to conduct the symphony of malice. Sabbat vampires cannot take this Flaw.
Source(s): V20 Pg 492.

Probationary Sect Member (4pt. Flaw): You are a defector. You turned traitor to the Camarilla, Sabbat, or other Sect, and you still have much to prove before you are accepted by the Kindred you have defected to. Other vampires treat you with distrust and even hostility, and your reputation might even sully those whom you regularly associate with.
Source(s): V20 Pg 493.

Trophy Arrogance (4 pt. Flaw): The character has begun to wear out his welcome when it comes to making demands on the Trophy Clan. While the Clan has promised him any number of rewards, both monetary and supernatural, the new Alastor has been abusing the Trophy’s Clan hospitality and is taking advantage of them. Making demands of local Kindred resources, throwing the fallen Anathema back in the Clan’s face, or being overly arrogant about the fact that the Clan owes the character are just some of the ways an Alastor can demonstrate this Flaw. Note: This Flaw is only available to Alastor characters who have killed an Anathema. It is not available to those named Alastors by Justicars and Inner Circle
Source(s): Dread Names, Red List Pg 100-1.

Blood Hunted (4 or 6pt. Flaw): You have been made the target of a blood hunt, and for you to return to your home city is death. For four points, this Flaw means that only your home city is offlimits to you. For six, it means that the entire Camarilla is howling for your vitae. This Flaw can only be taken by Camarilla vampires.
Source(s): V20 Pg 493.

Black Sheep (5-pt. Flaw): ANARCH ONLY - You belong to a prestigious lineage that is considered to be paragon of another sect, or at least it did before you joined the Anarch Movement. You have embarrassed your sire, grandsire, and perhaps even farther back up the line; now the time has come to pay. Your erstwhile broodmates want to bring you back into the fold, if only to clean the stain from your reputation, and are unwilling to recognize your independence. Your sire and grandsire spare no effort to make things uncomfortable for you and any Anarchs who shelter you. This flaw combines the effects of Sire’s Resentment and Hunted Like a Dog, so those flaws may not be taken in conjunction with Black Sheep. (For more information on those Flaws, see p. 490 and 492 of V20, respectively.) In addition, many members of the Anarch Movement actively distrust you solely based on your lineage, believing that you are a double-agent. All social rolls involving your fellow Anarchs incur a +2 difficulty.
Source: Anarchs Unbound for V20 Pg 102.

Laughingstock (5pt. Flaw): Somehow you’ve drawn the scorn of the local Harpies, who make you their favorite target. You are at a +2 difficulty on all Social rolls in Elysium and a +1 anywhere else in the city. In addition, you are at +2 difficulty to use Intimidation or any Dominate powers on anyone who has heard the stories mocking you. This Flaw can only be taken by Camarilla vampires.
Source(s): V20 Pg 493.

Red List (7pt. Flaw): You are either being considered for or are already on the dreaded Red List, the registry of those vampires the Camarilla most wants extinguished. Any Camarilla vampire will either attack you on sight or, more likely, call in for a great deal of help.
Source(s): V20 Pg 493.

Supernatural

Cast No Reflection (1pt. Flaw) You actually cast no reflection, just like the vampires of legend. This can have a detrimental effect when trying to pass as a human. Vampires of Clan Lasombra automatically have this Flaw (and you may be mistaken for one of them if you possess this).
Source(s): V20 Pg 494.

Cold Breeze (1pt. Flaw): A chill wind follows you everywhere you go. While it may make for dramatic entrances, this effect also discomfits mortals (+1 difficulty on all appropriate Social rolls) and marks you as obviously supernatural. Cold winds sweeping through executive offices or crowded nightclubs can raise all sorts of questions.
Source(s): V20 Pg 494.

Repulsed by Garlic (1pt. Flaw): You cannot abide garlic, and the smallest whiff of its scent will drive you from a room unless you make a successful Willpower roll (difficulty based on the strength of the odor).
Source(s): V20 Pg 494.

Touch of Frost (1pt. Flaw): Plants wither as you approach and die at your touch. Your touch leeches heat from living beings, as though you were made of ice.
Source(s): V20 Pg 494.

Cursed (1-5pt. Flaw): You are the recipient of a supernatural curse. The strength and pervasiveness of the curse depend upon how many points you wish to incur. Examples follow:
• If you pass on a secret you were entrusted with, your betrayal will come back to harm you in some way. (1 pt.)
• You stutter uncontrollably when you try to describe what you have seen or heard. (2 pts.)
• Tools break or malfunction when you try to use them. (3 pts.)
• You are doomed to make enemies of those whom you most love or admire. (4 pts.)
• Every one of your accomplishments or triumphs will eventually become soiled or fail in some way. (5 pts.)
Source(s): V20 Pg 494.

Beacon of the Unholy (2pt. Flaw): You radiate palpable evil. Clergy and devout mortals know instinctively that there is something horribly wrong with you, and react accordingly.
Source(s): V20 Pg 494.

Deathsight (2pt. Flaw): Everything appears rotted and decayed to you. The world appears to you as a corpse; mortals look diseased or skeletal, buildings seem decrepit, and your fellow Kindred seem to be walking, moldering cadavers. You are at -2 difficulty to resist all rolls based on Appearance, but by the same token you are at +2 difficulty on all Perception-based rolls. In addition, you find social interaction difficult and are at +1 difficulty on all Social-based rolls.
Source(s): V20 Pg 494-5.

Eerie Presence (2pt. Flaw): Mortals have an unconscious awareness of your undead nature, which makes then anxious and ill at ease in your presence. Because of this, difficulties of all rolls relating to social interaction with mortals are increased by two.
Source(s): V20 Pg 495.

Lord of the Flies (2pt. Flaw): Buzzing harbingers of decay swirl around you everywhere. Their constant presence makes it difficult for you to interact socially (+1 difficulty when appropriate) and nearly impossible to sneak up on someone or hide effectively. The buzzing of the flies inevitably gives you away — all Stealth rolls are at +2 difficulty.
Source(s): V20 Pg 495.

Can’t Cross Running Water: You believe in the old folklore, and cannot cross running water unless you are at least 50 feet (15 meters) above it. Running water is considered to be any body of water at least two feet (half a meter) wide in any direction and not completely stagnant.
Source(s): V20 Pg 495.

Haunted (3pt. Flaw): You are haunted by an angry and tormented spirit, most likely one of your first victims. This spirit actively attempts to hinder you, especially when feeding, and does its utmost to vent its anguish upon you and anyone in your presence. The Storyteller determines the exact nature of the spirit, its powers, and whether or not it can eventually be laid to rest.
Source(s): V20 Pg 495.

Repelled by Crosses (3pt. Flaw): You are repelled by the sight of ordinary crosses, believing them to be symbols of holy might. When confronted by a cross, you must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 9) or flee from the symbol for the duration of the scene. If you botch the roll, not only must you attempt to flee, but the touch of the cross can cause aggravated damage (one health level of damage per turn that the cross touches your skin). This damage cannot be soaked, even if the vampire possesses Fortitude.
Source(s): V20 Pg 495.

Grip of the Damned (4pt. Flaw): There is no ecstasy in your Embrace — only terror and pain. Mortals upon whom you feed struggle and shriek while you attempt to feed, requiring you to grapple with them for as long as you wish to take their blood. For vampires with high Humanity, this experience may require a Humanity roll, at the discretion of the Storyteller. Giovanni cannot take this Flaw.
Source(s): V20 Pg 495.

Dark Fate (5pt. Flaw): You are doomed to experience Final Death or, worse, suffer eternal agony. No matter what you do, you cannot avoid this terrible fate. At some point during the chronicle, your Dark Fate will come upon you. Even more ghastly is the fact that you occasionally have visions of this fate, and the malaise these images inspire requires an expenditure of a temporary Willpower point to avoid, or else you lose a die from all of your actions for the remainder of the night. It is up to the Storyteller to determine the exact nature of this fate, and when it will occur. This is a difficult Flaw to roleplay; ironically, though it may seem as though it removes all free will, the knowledge of one’s death can be quite liberating.
Source(s): V20 Pg 495.

Light-Sensitive (5pt. Flaw): You are even more sensitive to sunlight than other vampires are. Sunlight causes double normal damage, and the light of the moon can cause lethal damage in a manner similar to the sun, though it must shine directly upon you. Even bright lights hurt your eyes, requiring the use of sunglasses. Followers of Set and related bloodlines cannot take this Flaw, as they already have a worse version of it.
Source(s): V20 Pg 495.

Lore of the Clans Flaws

Assamite Pg 26



Outcast (2pt. Flaw) Your have rejected the ethos of the caste into which you were Embraced. Perhaps you are one of the few viziers or sorcerers to support the Web of Knives or pursue the Path of Blood. Perhaps you are a warrior who has little stomach for combat, preferring instead to be a diplomat or a student of the occult. Perhaps you made some kind of public spectacle that revealed your disdain for your fellow caste members. Your sire now rejects you, as do the other members of your caste. The difficulty of all Social rolls against members of your caste is at +2.



Broken Antitribu (3pt. Flaw) You are one of those most pitiful things — an Assamite antitribu who still labors under the Tremere Curse. You have pledged yourself to the Sabbat, but you cannot perform diablerie and can only partake of Kindred vitae already transubstantiated through the Vaulderie. As a result, the difficulty of all Social rolls against other Sabbat members is at +2.



Multiple Curses (3pt. Flaw) In addition to the normal curse imposed upon you by your caste or sect, you suffer one additional one associated with the Assamite Clan. Most likely, you are a rare vizier or sorcerer within the Sabbat who suffers the Baali Curse in addition to your normal caste-imposed curse, but at the Storyteller’s discretion, other combinations may be possible.



Brujah Pg 48



Obvious Predator (2pt. Flaw) Your innate Brujah rage always percolates below the surface no matter how hard you try to project an image of calm. Mortals find you intrinsically menacing, and instinctively fear you for the violence you promise to unleash. System: The difficulty of all Social rolls made against mortals other than Intimidation rolls increases by 2.



Setites Pg 67



Scales (1-3pt. Flaw) Set blessed you upon your Embrace, and you bear his mark. A portion of your skin is covered in scales. As a one-point Flaw, a small, easily hidden area of skin is covered. As a two-point Flaw, a whole limb is covered, while having a scaled, lipless face is a three-point Flaw. Kine are frightened and disturbed by the obviously unnatural scales, and Kindred have their own prejudices against the Setites. All social rolls receive a +2 difficulty when the scales are visible. This penalty does not apply to social interactions with other Setites.



Venomous Bite (2pt. Flaw) You have developed venom glands in the roof of your mouth. The venom is a virulent neurotoxin, fatal to mortals, although Kindred and other supernatural creatures are unaffected by it. You, of course, are immune. The problem is you have no control over your poison glands. When you bite, you always inject this venom, usually killing your human victims. You must learn to feed in other ways, perhaps drawing the blood you need with a syringe or razor, if you do not wish to kill every time you feed. 



Forked Tongue (2pt. Flaw) Your tongue is forked, flickering, and inhumanly reptilian. Upholding the Masquerade becomes difficult for you. Note that this tongue does not inflict aggravated damage, nor draw blood. 



Heartless (4pt. Flaw) You have lost your heart. Either you removed it via The Heart of Darkness (see V20, p. 210), or an elder did it to you, but either way you no longer have easy access to it. The heart might be in the possession of a foe, or simply missing. If it turns out that a Cainite possesses the heart (say a Setite elder, or your sire) you must obey their every command. If it’s merely missing, the anxiety and obsession to find it interferes with your nightly existence, and may increase the difficulty of Willpower rolls by +1 at Storyteller discretion. 



Aura of the Typhon (5pt. Flaw) Something slithers beneath your skin, coiled in your very essence — something that causes the Lupines to stalk you for some dread purpose you do not understand. Their howls follow in your wake. You catch glimpses of blurred motion and the gleam of eyes and teeth in the dark. They get closer every night. What do they want from you?



Gangrel Pg 87



Member of the Pack (2pt. Flaw) You can only summon, speak to, and command a specific type of animal — ravens, rats, and so forth — with Animalism. Your Storyteller is the best adjudicator of what types of animal are appropriate for this Flaw, but the choice should be fairly limiting. Other animals do not respond to your uses of Animalism at all.



Rat in a Cage (2pt. Flaw) Anytime you are penned in or physically restrained (such as by a cage, or with handcuffs), you suffer acute anxiety. The difficulties of any rolls made under such circumstances are increased by two.



Giovanni Pg 107



Inbred (1-5pt. Flaw) Inbreeding, a common occurrence among the incestuous Giovanni Clan, can take many forms. The Inbred Flaw covers all manner of physical, mental, and emotional defects. A one-point Inbreeding is something simple and unobtrusive, such as eyes too close together or an underbite (+1 difficulty on Appearance rolls). A three-point Inbreeding is more severe: a congenital health condition (for mortals) or a crippling physical deformity (+2 difficulty on appropriate Strength, Dexterity, or Stamina rolls). Five-point Inbreedings are grossly disabling or emotionally crippling — everything from uselessly atrophied legs to a permanent Derangement — decided on mutually by the player and Storyteller. Inbred conditions may or may not be immediately discernible, though their point cost should be relative to their magnitude, as decided by the Storyteller.



Shadow Walker (6pt. Flaw) The Giovanni Clan is by its nature inexorably tied to the realm beyond the sudario. Giovanni suffering from this Flaw are so tied to the Shadowlands that even in the lands of the living they must interact with the world of the dead on a nightly basis. To shadow walkers, objects in the Underworld are as real as anything found in the physical world. Such vampires find that the ghosts of walls may impeded their flight, ghostly objects may strike them, and wraiths’ powers work as if the Kindred were on the far side of the Shroud. This Flaw is similar to the Ash Path power Dead Hand (V20, p. 163), except that Shadow Walker is always on and it in no way allows the character possessing it to perceive beyond the Shroud. The Storyteller may determine that certain Shadowlands topography interferes with you. Unless you have some ability to do so, you can’t see into the Shadowlands, so you have to be careful in feeling your way about — essentially, a blind man subject to the Underworld landscape. At the Storyteller’s discretion, immaterial walls or environmental effects may restrict you.



Lasombra Pg 123



Uncontrollable Night Sight  (2pt. Flaw) Your night vision is good, but you can’t turn it off. While you can see easily into the deepest shadows, any light is almost blinding to you. You suffer penalties the brighter the area you are in is lit, inversely proportional to the standard penalties for darkness. Even just standing in a well-lit room is uncomfortable to you. 



Insubordinate (3pt. Flaw) You like to be in charge so much you have a hard time following anyone else’s orders. When given a plan or told to do something, you tend to do the opposite on principle. Whenever you are ordered to do something, you must make a Willpower roll with a difficulty depending on the importance of the superior and the danger of the task (difficulty 7 is typical for someone directly above the vampire assigning them a moderately dangerous task). If you fail, you will do anything except what you’ve been told to do.



Unproven (3pt. Flaw) Somehow, you have failed to prove yourself worthy of the name Lasombra. Maybe your sire did not test you well enough, or an opportunity to prove yourself has not come up. Whatever the reason, you are not truly considered part of the Clan. All social dealings with other Lasombra suffer a -3 dice penalty. You may also not be chosen to sit in judgment in the Courts of Blood.



Malkavians Pg 142



Paper Trail (2pt. Flaw) You’ve spent some time in state institutions like prisons or asylums, likely before your Embrace. Most people have some sort of information that relays date of birth and other bits of fact. This information is hard to eliminate, and may endanger the Masquerade. Enemies with the right influence may be able to track down the information and use it against you. It may lead to vulnerable targets or clue hunters to where your haven is located.



Stigmata (2 or 4pt. Flaw) Oracles are often marked as messengers of the gods. Your markings come in the forms of phantom wounds that seep blood. The bleeding is slight but incessant, costing you an extra blood point every day just before you wake at dusk. The 2-point version of this Flaw means wounds that can be easily hidden from prying eyes, such as on the hands or the side. You gain a +1 difficulty to all Social rolls when dealing with someone aware of your condition. The 4-point version can’t be easily hidden, like bleeding eyes. The Social penalty increases to +2, and one of your Attributes also gains a +1 difficulty to all rolls because of the constant seeping blood.



Infectious (3pt. Flaw) Madness flows within your blood, but your bite carries a taint as well. Mortals take a temporary derangement for every three points of blood you take from them. The derangements stay until the mortal restores the lost blood. 



Overstimulated (3pt. Flaw) Malkavians notice things that many others do not. That means keeping their eyes and ears open far longer than anyone else does. That makes you easily distracted when trying to focus. Take a +2 penalty to all rolls involving Perception. 



Dead Inside (4pt. Flaw) You feel nothing but pain and numbness. While others find ways to make their lives worth living, you sometimes don’t get that thrill. Once per session, the Storyteller may cancel any gain of Willpower you made by playing to your Nature or Demeanor.



Nosferatu Pg 161



Stench (1pt. Flaw) Most Nosferatu pick up a certain odor, but you stink so bad even your Clan-mates find you hard to be close to. Your presence is preceded by your stench, removing two die from all Stealth rolls.



Dangerous Secret (1-5pt. Flaw) You have come to know something you really wish you hadn’t discovered. Worse yet, the people you have the dirt on know that you know. It might be that you have discovered the Prince’s haven, or that there are infernalists hiding in the diocese. Whatever it is, you are not sure whom you can tell, and if you do, you will only make the subjects of the secret more enthusiastic about getting rid of you. You may even be implicated in the secret and risk going down with them. The more potent the Flaw, the more powerful the people in question are, and the more they want it silenced.



Anosmia (2pt. Flaw) Your life in the sewer has removed your sense of smell and taste. This means you are unperturbed by even the worst stench or most disgusting flavor. However, it also means you cannot ever succeed at any Perception rolls that rely of taste or smell. It also does not make you immune in any way to gas attacks or poisons; you just won’t be able to tell they are there.



Parasitic Infestation (2pt. Flaw) Living in the dark has made you a home to all manner of creepy crawlies and bloodsuckers. Your skin is crawling with ticks, lice, and leeches of all descriptions. They constantly bite and burrow, and having fed on your vitae, they have become very hard to kill. Not only can you not command them, you have tried everything to get rid of them and still they persist. Whatever the reason, they find you so succulent they reduce your blood pool by the result of one die divided by 3 (round down) each time you rise. The constant itch also keeps you on edge, increasing the difficulty of any Self-Control or Instinct rolls by 1.



Bestial (3pt. Flaw) You are closer to animals than humans, and it shows. In addition to the Nosferatu Clan weakness, you have an additional weakness: whenever you frenzy, you gain an animal feature, similar to the Gangrel Clan weakness (V20, p. 55). With Storyteller permission, permanently acquired animal features may be justification to acquire certain Merits after character creation, such as Lizard Limbs (p. 160) or Monstrous Maw (pp. 160-161). If so, the Storyteller can simply award them, or require an experience point expenditure (such as two times the Merit point value). Similar Flaws can also be taken, but cannot grant additional freebie or experience points.



Enemy Brood (3pt. Flaw) You have made an enemy of another group of Nosferatu. Unlike your usual enemies, they know the places you like to go and aren’t too squeamish about following you there. They keep you on the move, hunting you from sanctuary to sanctuary. The sewers themselves might not even be safe for you anymore. If you move to a new city, they use their contacts to pass on the word to their allies to keep hounding you. Sooner or later, you are going to have to take them down to rid yourself of them.



Putrescent (4pt. Flaw) The supernatural process that usually keeps a vampire’s form from rotting after death has failed to work on you. Your body has become putrescent and fragile as it gradually decays. All soak rolls you make have their dice pool reduced by 1. You may even lose body parts if you suffer a solid enough blow. Should this happen, make a Stamina roll (difficulty 6) and lose a part of your body (Storyteller’s choice) if you fail. Should you botch, you also receive a level of aggravated damage. These missing parts may regrow, but your body continues to rot.



Contagious (5pt. Flaw) Your body has died on the inside, filling you with noxious bacteria, spores, and even fungi. Mortals that touch you or on whom you feed must make a Stamina roll (difficulty 9) not to fall ill. The illness puts them in bed with fever and sickness, and each week they may attempt the Stamina roll again. The Storyteller might reduce the difficulty if the target is receiving proper medical attention. On a success they recover, but if they fail, they remain feverish. At the end of each month the victim remains ill, they lose a point of Stamina; if they are reduced to zero Stamina they die. If the Nosferatu knows of their contagion and infects someone maliciously, the Storyteller might call for a Humanity (or appropriate Path of Morality) degeneration roll if they die. Supernatural creatures generally have the ability to heal or cure such sickness in themselves, and vampires are immune to these germs of the dead.



Incoherent (5pt. Flaw) Human speech is impossible for you. It might be that your mouth is too misshapen after the Embrace, or that years of living in the sewers have made you forget how to communicate. While you can understand what is being said to you, you cannot respond. Telepathy works on you as normal, and you have no problem communicating with animals, but human speech is barred to you.



Ravnos Pg 182



Chandala (1pt. Flaw) Being a member of the lowest jati, the Chandala, is a mixed bag. You are responsible for the disposal of corpses, as well as many other foul tasks, but at the same time, you are often ignored. Your Social rolls against other Ravnos are made at a +2 difficulty. You do not have to take this Flaw to be a member of the Chandala jati, but only members of the Chandala jati may have this Flaw.



Flawed Reality (2pt. Flaw) Your illusions always contain a notable flaw, and as such, are easier to disbelieve. The difficulties of all rolls to disbelieve your illusions are reduced by two.



Oathbreaker (2pt. Flaw) Making an oath ties one person’s svadharma to another, linking the two spirits until the oath can be fulfilled. With this in mind, a Ravnos never breaks her word once given in good faith, and so long as it was done with proper ceremony. If the Ravnos spits into her palm and shakes on her word, then the oath cannot be broken without negatively impacting the vampire’s svadharma (or so Ravnos superstition dictates). The oathbreaker will lose her way, falling into vice and worthlessness, until the broken oath can be redeemed. Anyone who looks at your aura can see a sickly red slash indicating the broken oath. You may not spend Willpower to ignore your Ravnos vice, and you do not gain Willpower from fulfilling your Nature.



Lost Svadharma (3pt. Flaw) You once knew your svadharma, but when the time came to fulfill it, you failed. Now that destiny has passed you by, and there may never be another chance to make it right. Other Ravnos know the tale, and hold your failure against you. You are scorned, and your confidence has been thrown into doubt. Your total Willpower score is permanently reduced by one and you may not spend Willpower when performing actions where other Ravnos are directly involved.



Toreador Pg 200



Tortured Artist (1pt. Flaw) Nothing is ever good enough for your work. No matter how much praise is lavished upon you, you can only see the flaws and mistakes. This leads to long periods of ennui, which makes your artistic work irregular at best. Further, you throw yourself into business arrangements and social situations with intensity, which often leads to heartbreak, which leads to the pain and passion that fuels your next work. You are at +1 difficulty on Social rolls in which you are being praised, complimented, or treated with respect.



Private Life (3pt. Flaw) You have a completely separate life that no other Kindred know about. It may be your mortal family that you have turned into ghouls, or a YouTube channel that you use to talk in metaphor about your frustrations with Kindred society. If discovered, this could risk other vampires accusing you of breaching the Masquerade (if Camarilla), consorting with humanity instead of being a superior vampire (if Sabbat), or just overall paranoia and suspicion on why you’re keeping such deep secrets.



Tremere Pg 219



Arcane Curse (1-5pt. Flaw) Because of either your studies or someone else’s, you suffer from a magical curse. It might be an aversion or allergy, or even a strange magical effect. The level of the flaw depends on how debilitating the curse is. Curing the affliction may be impossible, or require some sort of quest or advanced research.



Flaw Value Example Curse

1 point A minor oddity, such as an animal feature or strange eye color

2 point A noticeable problem, such as your magic having a strange taint or pattern that makes it instantly recognizable, or that plants wither in your presence.

3 point Something problematic, such as people sickening in your presence or animals attacking you.

4 point Concerning handicap, such as developing another Clan’s weakness.

5 point Potentially deadly, such as moonlight being as dangerous to you as sunlight.



Cloistered (2pt. Flaw) You have spent almost all of your undead existence in the halls of the chantry, making Kindred society rather new and confusing for you. You suffer a -2 dice penalty to any social interactions with those outside the Tremere. 



Betrayer’s Mark (3pt. Flaw) Even though you are loyal to House and Clan Tremere, for some reason you are branded with the mark of the antitribu (see the sidebar on p. 216). It might be that you have returned to the Clan after leaving the Sabbat or that you unwittingly or as part of an undercover operation took part in the Vaulderie. Whatever the reason, the mark makes other Tremere wary of you. You will have to go that extra mile to prove yourself, and few among the Clan will trust you with positions of power and responsibility. 



Bound to the Clan (3pt. Flaw) You have done more than just drink from the blood of the elders. Whether as punishment or by choice, you have become fully blood bound to Clan Tremere. You cannot act against the Clan, and find everything you do works in the service of the Tremere. You might not like it, but you can’t help yourself doing it. Of course, now you are bound to the Clan, you cannot be bound to another individual. Many older Tremere have this Flaw, as it has been common in the past to completely blood bind new Tremere. 



Mage Blood (5pt. Flaw) Your blood is so tied to magic that you find you are unable to use any Discipline apart from Thaumaturgy (and for Kindred who are not Tremere, it is still paid for at out-of-Clan rates). While no path or ritual is barred to you, you may not gain any dots in any other Discipline.



Thaumaturgically Inept (5pt. Flaw) Something about you refuses to respond to Thaumaturgy. Magic just doesn’t work for you. You cannot take any ability in the Thaumaturgy Discipline or any of its paths or rituals. For a Tremere this is doubly difficult, as skill in Thaumaturgy is often the key to position within the Clan. While some willingly choose to ignore their thaumatugical studies and serve in other ways, ineptitude is never excused. Only Tremere can take this Flaw.



Tzimisce Pg 239



Unblinking (1pt. Flaw) Your eyes do not close. Ever. Perhaps you have left your humanity too far behind to upkeep such habits, or perhaps you fleshcrafted some form of transparent eye-scale or nictitating membrane. Your quirk probably makes astute observers uncomfortable, adding +1 to the difficulty of friendly social interactions with humans, Kindred on Humanity, and others with mortal sensibilities. 



Ancestral Soil Dependence (2pt. Flaw) Your flesh yearns for a homeland you have never seen. The voice of Kupala punishes your day sleep if this yearning is not met. The soil from a place important to you as a mortal will not suffice; in addition, you require two handfuls of the tainted Eastern European soil of the ancestral Tzimisce homeland. This Trait mostly commonly manifests in the childer of koldun and the branch of the Clan thought to be descended from Yorak. It can even manifest in childer sired generations after their ancestors relocated. Characters Embraced in Eastern Europe can’t take this Flaw (they’re already dependent on the local soil). 



Faceless (3pt. Flaw) You have escaped the tyranny of physical self-identity. Call no face your own. Every sunset, you awaken to a new visage, an amalgam pieced together from memory and dream. Your features, ethnicity, even gender become fluid things while you sleep. While this Flaw exemplifies the extreme ideals of Azi Dahaka (and should impress most Metamorphosists), it can cause complications for vampire concerned with maintaining recognition, reputation, or a mortal alias. Every sundown, the player rolls one die and is subject to the results on the following table:



Roll Result

1 No change.

2-3 Minor changes, somewhat recognizable.

4-8 Unrecognizable by even those closest to the character (such as her packmates or sire). Ethnicity and gender may change.

9-10 Total metamorphosis. Tentacles, bone spikes, or other inhuman features may appear.



This Flaw affects some Backgrounds (V20, p. 110). Without a stable face, Alternate Identity and Fame cannot be maintained. Backgrounds like Allies, Contacts, Influence, and Status might be complicated by the lack of a solid identity as well. The vampire can use Malleable Visage and a mirror to reconstruct her true face from memory, but this requires at least three successes at difficulty 8 to make her recognizable, and five successes for a flawless copy. The Mistaken Identity Flaw (V20, p. 450) cannot be taken. Other Merits/Flaws may be affected, at the Storyteller’s discretion. Characters must have at least one dot of Vicissitude to take this Flaw.



Privacy Obsession (3pt. Flaw) Perhaps it is a trait carried in the blood. Perhaps your strict sire carved this lesson into your mind and flesh. Either way, you carry the Tzimisce respect for privacy to extremes. You must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 6) to enter another being’s dwelling without being invited, though you can go to fiendishly clever lengths to garner an unwitting invitation. When disturbed in your haven by an uninvited guest, you must make a Self-Control or Instincts roll (difficulty 7) to avoid frenzy. 



Revenant Weakness (3pt. Flaw) You were once part of a revenant family. Following the Embrace, you suffered both your Clan’s weakness and your revenant family’s limitation (V20, pp. 503-506). The Storyteller might let you manifest a weakness from a lost or destroyed revenant line. This could add mystery to your background and allow for a bit of genealogical detective work, certainly making you a curiosity to the Romanian Legacy Foundation.



Consumption (5pt. Flaw) There is something hungry inside of you. But what is it? Portions of the Antediluvian? Your Vicissitude gone horribly wrong? Whatever it is, it is active, acting like a cancer, devouring you from the inside out. Your very blood is wrought with corrosive, flesh-eating bacteria. At the beginning of each evening, you suffer one health level of lethal damage that cannot be soaked nor healed with blood. The only way to counteract the effect is by ingesting one-tenth of your body-weight in flesh to supplement your depleted carcass. Whether you kill and devour the skin from humans or raid the biohazard containers of liposuction clinics for siphoned fat, you need your ration of human flesh in order to survive. If you try and ingest this macabre meal before damage is done, you’ll simply vomit it out like any other food — this does not impart the benefits of the Eat Food Merit.



Ventrue Pg 261



Uncommon Vitae Preference (2pt. Flaw) Your preferred source for vitae is rarified even by the standards of your Clan, such as “only Korean War vets,” “only Federal Court Judges,” or “only virgins over the age of 40.” The difficulty of all hunting rolls for your character is increased by +2, to a maximum of 9.



Caitiff Pg 269



Clan Weakness (2pt. Flaw) Despite your failure to adopt your original Clan’s other abilities, you did inherit their weakness. While this can be deadly to the unprepared vampire, a canny Caitiff might turn this to their advantage to better blend among the parent Clan. Some Nosferatu, for example, would likely never notice, and might even stand up for the Caitiff even amidst accusations from outsiders. 



Fangless (2pt. Flaw) Considered the mark of a true mongrel, you never developed your fangs, or you lacked teeth before the Embrace. Either way, you have to use a knife or otherwise drink from bleeding wounds. You have no natural way beyond Disciplines to inflict aggravated damage.



Ignorance (2pt. Flaw) Many sires abandon their Caitiff progeny without a word of instruction or warning about their new nature. For most Princes, ignorance is no excuse for a breach of the Masquerade, and Sabbat packs are quick to notice weakness. The character starts with no knowledge of the abilities, customs, or politics of the undead, and must learn from their mistakes or find a mentor. Of course, any vampire willing to take on a Caitiff will most likely blood bond the poor wretch, leading to a completely new set of problems. Ignorance is deadly for a vampire, and doubly so for the Clanless. 



Bulimia (4pt. Flaw) You hunger for blood, and like all vampires, you will eventually feed, but the thought of it still makes you sick. Maybe you’re just not cut out for an eternity of bloodsucking, or you had an eating disorder in life that has followed you to the other side of mortality. Whatever the reason, you can’t hold your blood. Whenever you feed, make a Stamina roll with a difficulty 8. If you fail, you vomit out the fresh blood before it can be absorbed into your body, spraying it everywhere (embarrassing at best, a breach of the Masquerade at worst). Note that blood taken in frenzy is absorbed normally, though this carries its own risks.

Black Hand Flaws Pg 177

 Physical

 

 Methuselah’s Thirst (7pt. Flaw) You can no longer sustain yourself on mortal blood and must feed on the blood of Kindred or other supernatural creatures with potent reserves, such as lupines or fairies. 

 

 Social

 

 Vulgar (1pt. Flaw) Tact is a foreign concept to you, and you’re famous for being abrasive and generally unpleasant. Rolls involving social graces or delicate situations suffer +1 difficulty. 

 

 Oathbreaker (4pt. Flaw) Once you swore fealty to a lord or organization, or made a binding contract. You’ve broken that promise and everyone knows about it. Now it’s near impossible to earn the trust of others. The difficulty of Social rolls to convince someone of your trustworthiness is increased by three, and even members of your coterie may have reservations about you. 

 

 Supernatural

 

 Kiss of Death (2pt. Flaw) Should you drain a mortal vessel of all blood minutes after their heart stops beating, the corpse rises as a zombie (using the statistics for zombies on p. 164 of V20). These zombies are free-willed, hostile toward you, and cannot be directed without some sorcerous or necromantic means to command them. 

 

 Devil’s Mark (3pt. Flaw) Whether product of your Embrace or gained through exposure to infernal or other unholy power, you’ve been branded with the “Devil’s Mark,” an anatomical aberration that manifests the taint of the demonic. Possible deformities include, but are not limited to: bestial or inhuman eyes, hooves, horns, unnaturally colored or scaly skin, a birthmark in the form of a sigil, parasitic infestation, claws, misshapen teeth. or ineffectual (perhaps additional) limbs. You may never remove or “improve” these disfigurements, although magic or Disciplines can hide them from plain sight. A Devil’s Mark confers the following mechanical effects: Lower the maximum rating in one Attribute by one (if the maximum rating is 5, it becomes 4), while the cost to raise said Attribute increases by one (1 + the current rating x 4). If the mark becomes visible or is known to a mortal, it confers a -1 difficulty on Intimidation rolls when dealing with her, but in turn increases the difficulties for all other Social die rolls by one. Players should work with a Storyteller to determine an appropriate Devil’s Mark, and the Physical Attribute best suited to their mark.

 

 Lord of the Night (3pt. Flaw) In your presence lights dim, tiny flames extinguish, and shadows cling to you or languidly move about with a surreal unlife, making it impossible to pass as anything other than inhuman. The particular shadow you cast is a malicious entity with a will of its own. It lashes out at friends and enemies alike, tearing at the scenery, and snarling at passers-by. These effects can be suppressed for a scene by spending a point of Willpower. 

 

 Vassal of the Clan (6pt. Flaw) Through natural predisposition or a curse, you bear a permanent one-point blood bond to those one Generation lower, a two-point blood bond with those two Generations lower, and a three-point blood bond to those three or more Generations lower than you within your own Clan. These blood bonds override any other blood bonds you may earn during play. This can be a great risk for Hand members, as the blood forces allegiances to potentially risky vampires, or worse, to heretical ideologies.

 

Dark Ages V20 Flaws: Starting on Pg 421.

Physical Flaws

Odd Gait (1 point): Moving swiftly does not come  easily for you; perhaps walking is painful or perhaps you are  simply never in a hurry. Whatever the reason, you move at  half your normal movement speed. Storyteller characters  may also come to recognize you by your uncommon walk.



Ragged Bite (2 points): Unlike your Cainite peers, you lack the ability to neatly seal up the wound caused by feeding. Instead, you leave torn, bleeding marks which have a chance of becoming infected. Your target must make a Stamina roll (difficulty the number of damage caused + 5) to resist infection. The impact of such a notable wound in conjunction with a diseased target is left to the discretion of the Storyteller. At the very least, this poses complications in hiding your identity as anything other than a monster.



Unclean (2 or 3 points): Whether a lingering trait from your mortal life or an unfortunate side effect of your Embrace, your skin is marred in such a way that most casual observers assume you are a leper (or at least carrying some kind of plague). You may be barred entry to major cities, thrown out of most establishments, or subject to misguided attempts at healing or mercy. At 3 points, you carry leprosy (or some other contagious and visible disease). Nosferatu who take this Flaw receive only 1 point for it and must take its full effects (3 points).



Addiction (3 points): One of your vices from life has carried over into your unlife. Now, whenever you feed, you must also satiate your addiction. This could be anything from preying on drunkards, those who have become dependenton pain-killing opiates, or even the deeply spiritual who use hallucinogens to commune with the divine. The addiction notneed be limited to substance abuse, extending to thrill-seekingor sexual encounters. Blood not tainted with your vice onlyoffers half the normal sustenance.



Monstrous (3 points): When you were Embraced, the Beast within tore its way out, permanently manifesting itself in your physical features. You are a terrible, twisted creature, the stuff of nightmares in unliving flesh. Ordinary mortals flee in terror at your approach and even Cainites recoil in disgust. Your Appearance is permanently 0 and cannot be raised. If your character is of Clan Nosferatu, you may not take this Flaw.



Permanent Wound (3 points): By some misfortune, a wound sustained in your mortal life refuses to heal, forever open and weeping. When you wake at night, you always begin at the Wounded health level. No source of healing can cure this damage permanently, but you may spend blood points each night to heal it.



Slow Healing (3 points): While other Cainites recover swiftly from their injuries, you are not so fortunate. Your unliving flesh is slow to mend and reluctant to heal, costing two blood points to heal a normal level of damage and five days (in addition to the normal expenditures) to heal a level of aggravated damage.



Impaired Sense (4 points): Whether by birth or an unfortunate circumstance later in life, one of your senses has been diminished. Perhaps you are hard of hearing or blind, or perhaps one of your other senses has lost its functionality. Rolls involving your impaired sense are made at a difficulty increased by 3. This may also increase the difficulty of other rolls or impose other appropriate penalties. At Storyteller discretion, this Flaw may be taken more than once, but additional senses are each 1-point Flaws.

Mute (4 points): You cannot (or choose not to) speak. Typically, you communicate through body language and gestures, which imposes a +3 difficulty for any rolls that require you to communicate with unfamiliar people. Taking the Literacy Merit or dedicating a Multi-Lingual language to sign language can lessen this issue.



Flesh of the Corpse (5 points): Although you recover from your wounds (mechanically healing any health levels lost), your flesh and bone retain the memory of the injury. Skin stays torn, bruises remain dark, and broken bones still bend at odd angles. You are incapable of passing as anything but inhuman, and the Storyteller may assign increased difficulty to Social rolls as appropriate. Some Cainites with this Flaw continue to age and decay, eventually becoming nothing more than skeletons with rough, organ-like chunks hanging off their bones.



Mental Flaws



Deep Sleeper (1 point): Slumber takes you wholly, plunging you completely into the depthless realm of dreams. Increase the difficulty of rolls to wake during the day by two.

Nightmares (1 point): When you sleep, nightmares invade your dreams. Terrible images assault your mind, leaving you anxious and breathless upon waking. When you wake, make a Willpower roll. If you fail, the horror of your dreams haunts you, decreasing your dice pools for all actions by one until you next sleep.

Prey Exclusion (1 point): For whatever reason you choose, you refuse to feed upon a certain type of person. If, by some unfortunate circumstance, you prey upon such a person, you frenzy immediately and must make a Degeneration check. Ventrue may only take this Flaw for a subset of their particular feeding stock. For example, a Ventrue might feed from “virgin men,” but will not feed from Jewish virgin men.

Amnesia (2 points): Something has erased a portion of your memory. You remember little to nothing about your past. How far back this memory loss goes should be agreed upon between you and the Storyteller. You should also work together to determine what your character may have forgotten (unless you prefer to be surprised, of course). Storytellers should feel free to use this empty space in the character’s memory to provide interesting complications for the campaign.



Vengeful (2 points): Revenge drives you. Its hot, constant presence motivates your every move. Work out with the Storyteller what wrongdoing has pushed you into such a state. Whenever you encounter the source of your ire, you are compelled to pursue it, but you may spend a Willpower point to ignore this urge.

Flesh Eater (2 points): You cling to the misguided belief that you must also consume the blood-rich flesh of your victim (such as the heart or liver). This has obvious impact on the size of your herd as well as the mortal population eventually linking mysterious, gruesome deaths to you. To keep down blood consumed without a murderous amount of flesh, you must succeed in a Willpower roll (difficulty 8) or vomit up the blood.

Ethical Prohibition (2 or 4 points): The necessity of feeding is at odds with your moral compass. You cannot reconcile what you have become with what you believe in. At 2 points, you refuse to feed on humans, instead preying upon the blood of animals. At 4 points, you cannot come to terms with yourself at all and refuse to feed except when utterly necessary.

Social Flaws

Dark Secret (1 point): Something from your past haunts you. If found out, it could destroy your reputation with your clan and coterie. When the truth rears its ugly head, you must quash it or suffer the consequences of your secret getting out. You live every day knowing that at some point, word will get out and you will be unable to stop it.

Infamous Sire (1 point): Some Cainites are fortunate enough to be Embraced by great members of their clan, sharing in their prestige and fortune. You are not one of those vampires. Your sire is a person of ill repute: disrespectful, irresponsible, rebellious, and/or callow. You are, therefore, guilty by association. He or she may also try to foist his or her failings onto you when convenient.

Mistaken Identity (1 point): Someone among your clan or mortal community looks just like you. This same person is also a criminal, oath breaker, known cheat, or other ne’er-do-well. He or she is just elusive enough to often leave you with the blame for his or her wrongdoings. Your doppelganger is normally little more than a minor inconvenience, frequently leaving you to explain to authorities where you have been and who you really are.

Outsider (1 point): This is not your native land; this is not your mother tongue. You are not from around here. Everything is strange and different, from the customs to the food. You struggle with the area’s native language (though you can get by with a purchase of the Lingua Franca Merit) and the difficulty to applicable Social rolls increases by one.

Sire’s Resentment (1 point): Whether by your own failings or your sire’s fickle cruelty, he or she despises you. You can expect no favors from your sire, and he or she may be maneuvering to have you eliminated, politically or literally. The extent to which your sire hates you is between you and the Storyteller, but bear in mind that this is a 1-point Flaw, which does not have much relative weight. The Enemy Flaw represents more actively vitriolic relationships.

Smell of the Grave (1 point): The cloying scent of fresh, wet earth and decay clings to you. Your skin smells of chrism (or any other oil used in a burial rite) and your breath of funerary incense. While this bothers your Cainite peers little, it unsettles mortals, thereby increasing the difficulty to Social rolls with mortals by one. This stacks with the Cappadocian weakness, making members of that clan even less adept at Social rolls. The upside is that, at Storyteller discretion, this Flaw may decrease the difficulty of Social rolls where being unsettling might work in one’s favor (such as Intimidation attempts) by one.

Vulgar (1 point): You are famously uncouth, abrasive, and unpleasant. Tact is a foreign concept to you, and no matter of gentle prodding or harsher discussions can seem to teach you how to navigate a social situation. Mechanically, increase the difficulty to rolls involving social grace, manners, or delicate social proceedings by one. You may also roleplay yourself into a bind by accidentally offending the wrong people.

Enemy (1 to 5 points): In your travels, you have earned the enmity of a person or organization. The severity and scope of this hatred is reflected by the rating of the Flaw. At 1 point, your enemy is an aggrieved peer or the irritation of an organization. You may be undercut, inconvenienced, or framed for petty crimes, but nothing so severe as attempts on your unlife. At 3 points, your enemy is your superior, or the anger of an important group. They make regular efforts to thwart your plans, threaten your allies, and undermine your standing with your clan and Road. At this level, your enemy may consider granting you the Final Death. Work this out with your Storyteller. At 5 points, your enemy is an elder or an entire organization, such as the ruling family of your nation or the Catholic Church. Your death is not out of the question. None of your associates are safe. Everywhere you go, you can expect your enemy to be waiting. What have you done to make someone so powerful so angry? 



Rivalry (1 to 5 points): Someone hates you so much that they cannot bear to leave you alone. The scale of this Flaw is similar to that of the Enemy Flaw (see above), but your Rival is not interested in seeing you dead. Rather, a Rival desires only to make your unlife as troublesome and hellish as possible. At lower point value, the Rival may also be a friend who arrives at precisely the worst moment to steal your thunder or make you embarrassed. At higher levels, your Rival loses sleep planning how to make your life miserable.

Supernatural Flaws

Cast No Reflection (1 point): Like a monster out of a ghost story, your visage does not appear in a mirror, standing water, a sword’s blade, or any other reflective surface. Casual observers need only make a Perception + Alertness roll at default difficulty to notice this oddity, which can lead to any number of interesting complications when dealing with mortals.

Initiate of the Road (1 point): Your life on the road to enlightenment has just begun. Though you fully grasp the tenets and precepts of your chosen Road, you have not yet put them to the test. This may be because you were recently Embraced or because you previously abandoned a former Road (in which case you may also consider taking the Apostate Flaw on page 425). With this comes a +1 difficulty in resisting frenzy and Rötschreck, and you lack an aura tied to your Road. However, you have an easier time changing Roads, if you wish to do so.

Repulsed by Garlic (1 point): True to folktales, the scent of garlic is a ward against you. You cannot abide by the odor, requiring a Willpower test when it is present. Failure results in you fleeing the scene, which can make dinner parties quite awkward. The difficulty of this Willpower roll may be increased, depending on the intensity of the scent.

Touch of Frost (1 point): A nimbus of cold surrounds you. At the slightest touch, plants wither and die. If you stand near still water for too long, it begins to freeze. This makes you very easy to find, increasing the difficulty of rolls to stay hidden or concealed by one.

Cursed (1 to 5 points): Someone has placed a curse upon you. Work with the Storyteller to determine the nature of your curse, why you are cursed, and how it manifests. The following examples demonstrate the scale of your misfortune: 1 point - if you betray the trust of another, they will always find out; 2 points - words fail you when you try to urgently describe something you’ve seen or heard; 3 points - in your hands, tools warp and break; 4 points - everyone you love will eventually mistrust and despise you; 5 points - all your successes and grand schemes are doomed to fold and crumble. Curses can be lifted by reconciling with whoever (or whatever) levied the curse in the first place.

Demon-Hounded (1 to 5 points): A demon has taken a shine to you. It comes at odd and inconvenient hours and offers you bribes of wealth and power. Some days, it asks for favors; on others, it offers them. What black schemes does hell have in mind for you that one of its servants would bother you so? What fell powers have you toyed with that you should not? At 1 point, the demon is little more than an imp, asking for minor favors or stealing small objects. At 3 points, the demon is your physical or magical equal, or is a smaller threat that is willing to also drag your close friends into this affair. At 5 points, the demon is significantly powerful, able to threaten your coterie, or a lesser demon willing to torment your friends, family, and acquaintances.

Unlucky (1 to 5 points): You are spectacularly unfortunate. Disaster follows in your wake. You are magnetically attracted to misfortune. At 1 point, it rains whenever you forget your coat. At 3 points, it’s rare for you to recover from any failure gracefully. At 5 points, nearly everything you attempt ends catastrophically. A number of times per day equal to the point you have in this Flaw, the Storyteller may force you to reroll a successful roll and take the second result. Lucky and Unlucky are not mutually exclusive, but for simplicity’s sake, the same roll cannot be modified by both at once. That is, if a Lucky reroll is used, the Storyteller cannot force you to reroll the reroll.

Thirteenth Generation (2 points): By some strange twist of the supernatural, you were Embraced by a member of the Twelfth Generation. Your sire may not have even expected this to come to pass, and it certainly worries the powers-that-be, for you are something that should surely not exist. The difficulty of any rolls to activate your Disciplines is increased by one. At Storyteller discretion, you may also face other increased difficulties when you brush up against those who are frightened or suspicious of what you are. Strongly consider taking the Cannot Embrace or the Weak Blood Flaws as well.

Cannot Embrace (2 points): Through some curse, weakness, or defect in your vampirism, you are unable to create progeny. You may not be aware of this until it is too late and a victim lays bleeding out in your arms. 



Eerie Presence (2 points): A pervasive miasma of unease surrounds you. You exude a sense of wrongness that is palpable to mortals. This aura of fear increases the difficulty of Social rolls involving interaction with mortals by two, with the exception of Intimidation rolls. 



Repulsive to Animals (2 points): When you are near, natural animals startle and panic. Unlike the normal disturbance caused by the presence of Cainites, animals near you either bolt in terror or become aggressive and violent, depending on their temperament. This makes riding a horse (or any other riding beast) nearly impossible, as you are unable to calm any creature down with a normal Animal Ken roll. You must use the abilities of the Animalism Discipline or feed the animal some of your blood, which transforms it into a ghoul.

Permanent Third Eye (2 or 4 points; Salubri and Tremere only): While others descended from the blood of Saulot are able to conceal their third eye, yours remains permanently open on your forehead. For 2 points, it is mechanically treated as any normal third eye, though narratively may draw strange looks and unwanted attention. For 4 points, the eye is permanently open and may only be closed for a scene on a successful Willpower roll.

Animate Shadow (3 points): Your shadow is not merely an absence of light in the shape of your person; it is a living, malicious entity with a will of its own. It lashes out at friends and enemies alike, tearing at the scenery and snarling at passers-by. In addition to being a frightening problem, you lose two dice from all Social rolls with Lasombra who know of your issue.

Cloaked in Shadow (3 points): Shadows cling to you constantly. These are not the ordinary shadows cast simply by existing; the darkness around you is thick and heavy, making it impossible for you to pass as anything other than something supernatural. In addition to this complication, the difficulty for Social rolls with other vampires (especially the Lasombra) increases by one.

Haunted (3 points): A vengeful ghost haunts you, for any variety of reasons: perhaps you took the ghost’s life, perhaps it is the shade of a departed enemy with unfinished business, or perhaps it is a misfortune of your Embrace. When it is able to strike out at you, it is your physical and magical equal. However, most of the time it chooses to make your life miserable by frightening your friends, moving your furniture, and making loud noises while you are trying to rest. How often your haunt makes its displeasure known is up to the whims of the Storyteller. The Storyteller may wish to forbid characters with the Necromancy Discipline from taking this Flaw, as they have an easy means of dealing with the drawbacks.

Can’t Cross Running Water (4 points): Some supernatural prohibition encoded within you prevents you from crossing any moving body of water more than two feet deep. To do so, you must pass a Courage test (which the Storyteller may increase the difficulty, if appropriate). If you fail, you stand transfixed, unable to cross, while a botch sends you into Rötschreck. Mustering the fortitude to cross still pains you, and you take one health level of unsoakable bashing damage. If you swim or wade into the water, the damage is aggravated instead.

Grip of the Damned (4 points): When you drink from a mortal, they do not slip quietly into submission, instead retaining full, fearful consciousness. Many scream and thrash, doing everything to stop you from feasting on their blood. Mechanically, you must grapple with a target when you wish to feed on him. Additionally, it may prove difficult to conceal your actions from other mortals when you are wrestling with a howling victim. At the Storyteller’s discretion, this may be taxing to particularly chaste members of certain Roads.



Dark Fate (5 points): Your damnation extends far beyond your unlife. Fate has prepared a great doom for you, the likes of which will be whispered in tales long after it has come to pass. Work with your Storyteller to craft your doom (or let her unpleasantly surprise you, if you prefer), bearing in mind that it should be legendarily terrible. You cannot avoid your fate. The only way to be rid of this Flaw is to let your doom come to pass.

Harbinger of the Abyss (5 points): You have become the void: the endless black of night, an empty pool of darkness. Where you pass, shadows leap to join you and flames gutter and perish. When you are in the presence of mundane fire, you must make a reflexive Obtenebration roll against the soak difficulty of any nearby flame. A success extinguishes the fire instantly, casting the area into darkness. This Flaw also includes the effects of Touch of Frost (page 426) and Eerie Presence (page 427) and is therefore mutually exclusive with them. However, the clinging darkness around you provides one benefit (besides being an unusual way to extinguish unwanted fires): reduce the difficulty of all Intimidation rolls by two, to a minimum of 4. You must have at least one dot
of Obtenebration to purchase this Flaw.

Light-Sensitive (5 points): While all Cainites fear the daylight, you are especially vulnerable. Beneath the hateful gaze of the sun, your unliving flesh chars and crumbles at an alarming rate, and even the gentle light of the moon causes you pain. You take double the normal amount of damage when exposed to sunlight and lethal damage from moonlight. Characters who are Followers of Set and Lasombra may take this Flaw to further intensify their clan’s particular weakness to sunlight, doubling the augmented damage instead.

Weak Blood (5 points): Something has diminished your supernatural vigor and lessened your abilities as a vampire. Where others effortlessly command the gifts of Lilith, you struggle. No Discipline you have knowledge of may be higher than 4. It costs you twice the normal amount of blood points to control any vampiric abilities. You must feed a person six drinks of your feeble blood before they can become your thrall, and you do not possess the potency to create a ghoul or sire a childe. This effect also covers the drawbacks of the Cannot Embrace Flaw (page 427), therefore the two are mutually exclusive.

Weak Aura (2 point Merit or Flaw): The aura of your Road clings weakly to you, manifesting only when you perform acts of faith or when your fervor is at its most intense. This is a Merit if your Road rating is 4 or less, and a Flaw if it’s 5 or more. Follow the chart below for the mechanical effects on the application of your aura.



Road Rating Aura Modifier

10-9 +1 difficulty

8-3 no modifier

2-1 -1 difficulty

Potent Aura (3 point Merit of Flaw): Your aura  is mighty, giving people a powerful impression of you. Your presence ripples through a room, giving you away instantly. This is a mixed blessing, as you must grow into your burgeoning power, finding it difficult to control at first. This is a Merit if your Road is 5+ and Flaw if it’s 4 or less. Follow the chart below for the mechanical effects on the application of your aura.  



Road Rating Aura Modifier

10 -3 difficulty

9-8 -2 difficulty

7-6 -1 difficulty

5 no modifier

4-3 +1 difficulty

2 +2 difficulty

1 +3 difficulty

Existing Merits and Flaws V20 provides numerous Merits and Flaws for vampires. Despite this comprehensive list, not all of them are appropriate for ghouls or revenants. The Storyteller is free to override this list if she sees fit, but should make exceptions for good reason.
The following Flaws are recommended for ghouls and revenants:
• Physical: Hard of Hearing, Short, Tic/Twitch, Bad Sight, Disfigured, One Eye, Addiction, Deformity, Lame, Lazy, Slow Healing, Disease Carrier, Deaf, Mute, Blind.
• Mental: Impatient, Shy, Soft-Hearted, Speech Impediment, Amnesia, Luncay, Phobia, Short Fuse, Weak-Willed.
• Social: Expendable, Incomplete Understanding, Mistaken Identity, Sympathizer, Uppity, Narc, Laughingstock.
• Supernatural: Light-Sensitive, Cursed, Oracular Ability.

These Merits and Flaws are disallowed for use when creating a ghoul or revenant:
• Mental: Prey Exclusion
• Physical: Fourteenth Generation, Fifteenth Generation, Dulled Bite, Infectious Bite, Glowing Eyes, Monstrous, Permanent Fangs, Permanent Wound, Thin Blood, Flesh of the Corpse, Infertile Vitae.
• Social: Escaped Target.
• Supernatural: Cold Breeze, Touch of Frost, Eerie Presence, Lord of the Flies, Grip of the Damned.

Mental

Black and White (1pt. Flaw): The World of Darkness is complex, both morally and spiritually, but your character doesn’t see it that way. To her, every situation can be summed up as black or white. Your ghoul thinks simply, and believes her allies and enemies are either for or against her, hot or cold, good or evil, easy or impossible, stupid or genius. After being subjected to the blood bond, its influence can complicate your ghoul’s natural outlook on life. Under its influence, the blood bond may force your ghoul to view what your domitor says or does through a rosy, positive filter at all times. Alternatively, any character who does not agree or side with your master is, according to you, an enemy worthy of your contempt and deserves to be hurt. This Flaw is particularly prominent among the Giovanni, Assamite, Ravnos, and Ventrue Clans, along with the Followers of Set and many revenant families. A closed mindset can cost your character dearly as your perspective may result in your bad judgment, missed opportunities, and misunderstandings that might escalate. In social situations where your character’s perspective comes to bear, the difficulties of associated rolls increase by one.
Source: Ghouls Pg .

Fixation (2, 4, or 6pt. Flaw): Represents a ghoul's compulsion to seek a high or thrill outside of the Blood, whether through substances, adrenaline-pumping activities, or other means. The intensity of this Flaw varies with its point level: at 2 points, the ghoul can still function despite their fixation; at 4 points, it begins to interfere with responsibilities; and at 6 points, the ghoul becomes deeply addicted, leading to potentially dangerous or reckless behavior. The flaw is a persistent challenge, not easily overcome, and can lead to serious consequences, including social disapproval, physical harm, or even death if not managed. The ghoul may need to spend Willpower to resist the urge temporarily, but failure can result in a loss of control. Reducing or removing the Fixation requires a committed effort and possibly outside help, especially for ghouls with more freedom to indulge in these desires.
Source: Ghouls Pg .

Duplicitious (3pt. Flaw): Describes a ghoul or revenant with a reputation for deceit and manipulation, often due to past actions like lying, cheating, or playing both sides in conflicts. This Flaw affects the character's relationships, as others, including allies and enemies, remain wary, expecting betrayal or unfair treatment. While the blood bond might prevent a ghoul from directly opposing their domitor, they may still manipulate situations to gain favor or rewards. This reputation can be exploited by their domitor, who might use the character's perceived untrustworthiness to their advantage, such as by using them as bait or a tool against enemies. This Flaw signifies a pattern of underhanded behavior that influences how others perceive and interact with the character, often leading to mistrust and potential retaliation.
Source: Ghouls Pg .

Social

Isolated Upbringing (1pt. Flaw): Indicates that your character, likely a revenant or independent ghoul, was raised in seclusion by their family, with limited exposure to the outside world. As a result, your understanding of broader social norms and interactions is underdeveloped, often leading to awkwardness or discomfort in social situations outside your familiar environment. This lack of social experience can manifest as a one-die penalty to your Social dice pool in unfamiliar or uncomfortable settings, depending on the specifics of your background and family traditions. This Flaw is particularly fitting for characters from insular families like the Obertus, Bratovich, Ducheski, Giovanni Clan, and Kairouan Brotherhood, or for ghouls who have lost touch with their previous human lives.
Source: Ghouls Pg .

Obsession (1, 2, or 5pt. Flaw): Describes a ghoul or revenant's intense fixation on a specific idea, person, object, or feeling. At its mildest (1 point), the obsession is a minor preference, such as a strong preference for a particular brand or item, leading the character to avoid alternatives and seek out the preferred option when possible. At a moderate level (2 points), the obsession becomes more intrusive, potentially revolving around a person or object, requiring the character to keep an image or the item close at all times, with growing distress if it is not available. At its most severe (5 points), the obsession can dominate the character's life, leading to extreme actions such as kidnapping or becoming non-functional if the object of obsession is lost. In these severe cases, the character might enter a near-catatonic state or exhibit violent behavior if their obsession is not satisfied. The severity of the obsession may necessitate a Willpower check to overcome the fixation, with failure possibly resulting in the need for medical attention. This flaw can manifest in various ways, depending on the character's background and personality, affecting their daily life and interactions significantly.
Source: Ghouls Pg 130.

Squeamish (1 or 3pt. Flaw): Affects ghouls or revenants who have a strong aversion to violence or the sight of blood. Characters with this flaw may react negatively, such as fainting, panicking, or fleeing, when exposed to violent or bloody scenes, including combat, gunfire, or aggressive uses of Disciplines. The severity of the flaw is determined by the point value: at 1 point, the character may feel uncomfortable, while at 3 points, the response is more extreme. Players must roll Willpower (difficulty 7) in these situations; failure results in freezing or fleeing, depending on whether the character's Courage or Self-Control is higher. Accumulating five successes in a session alleviates the need for further checks that night, though particularly gruesome events might still trigger additional rolls. A botched roll leaves the character paralyzed with shock, potentially leading to involuntary reactions such as soiling themselves or vomiting. This flaw highlights the character's inexperience or sensitivity to real violence, impacting their ability to cope in violent scenarios.
Source: Ghouls Pg .

Domitor Pariah (2pt. Flaw): Places a ghoul or revenant in a precarious position by binding them to a vampire who is ostracized or disliked by their own Clan, bloodline, or Sect. This pariah status means the domitor lacks the support and resources typically available to most vampires, often relying more heavily on their ghouls for various tasks, which may include spying, combat, theft, or other dangerous activities. The ghoul may be given more responsibilities than usual, or even coerced into performing morally questionable or risky actions to support the domitor's agenda. For the ghoul, this flaw introduces several potential complications: Increased Risk and Responsibility: The ghoul may face more danger and moral dilemmas, being drawn into the domitor's conflicts or schemes. Social Stigma and Danger: Other vampires may react negatively to the ghoul due to their association with the pariah, potentially putting the ghoul at risk of ostracism, manipulation, or even physical harm. Knowledge and Rebellion: The ghoul may eventually uncover the reasons for their domitor's pariah status, leading to disillusionment or rebellious feelings, despite the strong blood bond that typically enforces loyalty. This flaw adds a layer of complexity and danger to the character's relationship with their domitor, shaping interactions with both their master and the broader vampire society.

Under Surveillance (2, 4, or 6pt. Flaw): Indicates that a ghoul or revenant is being monitored by law enforcement or government agencies. The level of surveillance increases with the point value of the flaw:

2 Points: Local authorities are monitoring the ghoul's activities. This could be due to suspicions of minor crimes or associations with criminal elements.
4 Points: Both city and state authorities are involved in the surveillance. This suggests a more serious level of suspicion or involvement in potentially larger criminal activities.
6 Points: Local, state, and national law enforcement agencies are coordinating their surveillance efforts. This level of scrutiny may extend to international agencies if the ghoul travels abroad, indicating involvement in significant criminal activities or connections to high-profile suspects.
The implications of this flaw include:

Risk of Masquerade Breach: For Camarilla ghouls, being under surveillance can threaten the Masquerade, the vampires' effort to conceal their existence from humanity. This could lead to drastic measures being taken by vampires to eliminate the ghoul or mitigate the threat.
Potential Manipulation: Vampires may use the ghoul as bait, create a body double, or plant false information to mislead authorities or protect themselves.
Difficulties for Independent Ghouls: Independent ghouls may find it harder to escape surveillance, and could be manipulated or punished by their former domitors, who may have orchestrated the situation.
The severity and consequences of the surveillance depend on the level of scrutiny and the ghoul's awareness of being watched. While this flaw can be reduced over time with careful actions, it poses ongoing challenges and dangers to the ghoul's safety and freedom.
Source: Ghouls Pg .

Loose Lips (3pt. Flaw): Ghouls are often privy to a great deal of sensitive information in the night-to-night dealings with their domitors, and some cannot resist the urge to divulge (or sell) these secrets. In general, ghouls and revenants who cannot keep secrets tend not to live very long. When you take the Loose Lips Flaw, you might be known as a gossip. In fact, this weakness may be the reason why any ghoul might become independent. It’s possible that the ghoul’s master felt that withholding feedings for the rest of his vassal’s pitiful life would be suitable punishment, and might still be keeping tabs on his former ghoul. Ghouls with this Flaw tend to not be trusted with jobs involving secrets, so their usefulness to higher-ranking vampires is limited. On the other hand, they make perfect tools for spreading false information, which can often be far more useful. Unfortunately, you may not know whether you’re spewing fact or fiction until it’s too late.
Source: Ghouls Pg 131-2.

Self-Preservation (3pt. Flaw): Reflects a character's refusal to follow orders that they perceive as life-threatening, undermining their value and reliability as a ghoul or revenant. This Flaw can lead to significant tension with a domitor or vampire master, as such behavior is contrary to the expected loyalty and obedience, especially under the influence of a blood bond. Ghouls with this Flaw may face severe consequences, including punishment, increased scrutiny, or even experimentation, should they fail to comply with dangerous commands. For revenants, this Flaw might result in mistrust or strained family loyalty, particularly if they prioritize their safety over the welfare of allies or relatives. Mechanically, the Flaw provides a Willpower check with a +2 difficulty to resist life-threatening orders, which, if successful, allows the character to refuse the command, potentially inviting severe repercussions.
Source: Ghouls Pg 132.

Turncoat (4pt. Flaw):
Represents a revenant's betrayal of their family and allies, choosing instead to serve their enemies. This betrayal often involves actions such as revealing sensitive information or harming former associates, leading to severe consequences, including being hunted by their own family and their former allies. Even with the protection of new allies, such as a powerful vampire or Clan, a Turncoat faces distrust and skepticism, as their history of betrayal suggests they could turn against their new allies as well. This Flaw is particularly significant for characters involved in the intricate politics of larger organizations, like vampire Clans or Sect dynamics, and highlights the complex web of loyalty and treachery in the world of revenants and ghouls. Source: Ghouls Pg 132.

Blood Feud (5pt. Flaw): Represents an intense and violent rivalry between revenant families, clans, or groups of ghouls, often rooted in longstanding grievances that have escalated beyond repair. This hostility can involve various forms of violence, from minor acts like vandalism to severe actions like murder. Blood Feuds are more severe than ordinary rivalries, requiring a deep-seated hatred that incites members to seek revenge. Characters with this Flaw may be driven to frenzied violence when encountering rivals, often acting impulsively on their desire for vengeance. The feud is sustained by mutual animosity, with both sides ready to retaliate at any opportunity, potentially drawing in others and perpetuating the cycle of conflict.
Source: Ghouls Pg 132-3.

Hunted (5pt. Flaw): Indicates that a supernatural hunter has identified you, a revenant or ghoul, as a target for destruction, posing a severe threat to you and those associated with you, including your domitor or family. This enmity could have arisen from an accidental encounter or a past relationship, but regardless of the origin, the consequences are dire. Your allies may feel compelled to sacrifice you to prevent a greater disaster, such as exposing their haven or compound. The Flaw suggests a continual danger, with hunters potentially pursuing you more aggressively than others. This Flaw requires careful consideration and should be discussed with your Storyteller, as it can significantly impact your character's story and the overall chronicle.
Source: Ghouls Pg 133.

Problem with Authority (5pt. Flaw): Problem with Authority is unhealthy for ghouls or revenants who are expected to serve without question. It is especially problematic for ghouls who have violent or unpredictable masters, and may spur a ghoul to leave her domitor’s side. Many independent ghouls suffer from this Flaw, and continue to feel the effects of their disobedience. When taken to its extreme, your ghoul will become argumentative and unruly, and may take an issue with the simplest instructions. While you might argue with lesser authority figures in your ghoul’s life, like the police, your combative words are less likely to get you killed, but may result in being arrested or fired.
Source: Ghouls Pg 133.

Fugitive (6pt. Flaw): You are actively sought by law enforcement or supernatural authorities for a serious crime or transgression, whether committed or framed for. This Flaw signifies a severe threat to both the Masquerade and your allies, as anyone associating with you may be considered complicit and face repercussions. You may have escaped from a high-security prison, mental health facility, or a Sect, causing those responsible for your capture to hunt you down relentlessly, often with personal motivations. While you might find temporary refuge with allies or through safe houses, this assistance comes with risks and often requires you to repay in favors or services. Your status as a fugitive complicates relationships and makes trust scarce, impacting your ability to operate within both mortal and supernatural communities.
Source: Ghouls Pg 133-4.

Physical

Albino (1pt. Flaw): Albinism is a genetic condition resulting in a lack of pigmentation, leading to very pale skin and red irises. While harmless physiologically, this condition can cause social challenges, as individuals with albinism may be ostracized or viewed with suspicion, especially in cultures that consider albinism an ill omen. For ghouls or revenants, this can make blending into crowds difficult without a disguise, but the distinctive appearance can also be used to intimidate others, especially if the individual has a fearsome reputation. Those with the Albino Flaw must be cautious of sun exposure due to their skin's heightened susceptibility to sunburn.
Source: Ghouls Pg 134.

Light Sensitive (2, 4, or 6pt. Flaw): A condition where exposure to bright light, including sunlight and artificial sources, becomes increasingly intolerable due to the effects of vampiric blood. A 2-point Flaw means your ghoul retreats from harsh, bright sunlight harsh and will react more quickly than most mortals. At 4 points, your ghoul is incapable of functioning normally in bright sunlight, and may develop painful skin rashes and/or sunburn after exposure. At 6 points, the ghoul finds any bright light nearly paralyzing, and will go to whatever lengths required to avoid such bright conditions. Bad sunburn will result from only a minute or two in full sunlight, and will become bashing damage at a rate of one point of damage per fifteen minutes’ worth of exposure. A ghoul with this level of the Flaw will therefore receive four points of bashing damage per hour of contact with full sunlight or its equivalent. Such damage may be healed normally, as per V20 on pp. 282-286.
Source: Ghouls Pg 135-6.

Cannibal (3pt. Flaw): A character's compulsion to consume human flesh, a behavior often associated with the Bratovich revenant family but not exclusive to them. This practice is widely regarded as barbaric and unnatural, leading to ostracization and potential death. Cannibalism poses health risks due to infections transmissible through contaminated flesh, which ghouls can usually resist due to the vampiric vitae in their system. However, if a ghoul stops feeding on vampiric blood, these infections can manifest as their body reverts to its natural state. Characters with this flaw tend to act discreetly, feeding in private to avoid detection, but may face complications if discovered, especially if linked to missing persons or bodies. The flaw can be selected by any ghoul and may result from a Derangement imposed by the Storyteller. It's particularly discouraged for Camarilla ghouls due to its severe social and moral implications.
Source: Ghouls Pg 136.

Hemophiliac (3pt. Flaw): Your character suffers from hemophilia. If your ghoul’s skin is cut, you will not stop bleeding without medical assistance. The Blood does not have any effect on a ghoul or revenant Hemophiliac. If your character suffers lethal or aggravated damage, he suffers an additional level of bashing damage every five minutes until his wound has been dressed to stop the bleeding. Any vampire who bites a Hemophiliac may “dress” such wounds. By licking the injury after biting the ghoul, the vampire will put a stop to any future bashing damage.
Source: Ghouls Pg 136.

Seizures (3pt. Flaw): Causes ghouls and revenants to experience seizures under duress, which can be exacerbated by the intense stress and trauma of their existence. While some seizures can be managed with medical treatment, many afflicted individuals avoid seeking help due to the nature of their condition. This Flaw triggers seizures during stressful situations, such as combat or extreme fear. When faced with such stress, the character must roll to resist a seizure; success means control is maintained, while failure results in a seizure that could lead to dangerous consequences, like accidents or injury. Critical failures cause severe grand mal seizures, with uncontrollable thrashing lasting as long as the number of failures on the roll. Lesser failures may result in temporary blackouts or tremors, impacting the character's ability to act.
Source: Ghouls Pg 136-7.

Supernatural

Finicky Palate (1pt. Flaw): Your ghoul must choose a Clan or bloodline, other than your domitor’s, whose blood causes you an allergic reaction when present in your bloodstream. Any time your ghoul ingests blood from a vampire of that selected Clan, either intentionally or forcibly, you must make a Stamina check to avoid vomiting it up. If you are successful, the blood remains in your system and all rolls involving Disciplines will be at +1 difficulty until either the offensive blood is burned off, or you consume new blood from a different Clan, whichever comes first. For most Camarilla ghouls, this Flaw represents little threat. In the unlikely event that a ghoul consumes the blood of a Kindred other than his domitor, it won’t take long for that ghoul to find the blood he does need. For an independent ghoul or a Clan-sponsored revenant family, on the other hand, this Flaw could represent a dire problem.
Source: Ghouls Pg 138.

Artificially Aged (2pt. Flaw): You are an underage ghoul or revenant that has been fleshcrafted to look like an older, mature adult. Your true maturity is still far off in your future, but you appear to be a decade or two older than your actual age. As long as you remain a ghoul, your body will not age. Due to the terrors inflicted on your young body and mind, your character may never reconcile what has happened to you. Physically, you might pass for a much older person, but mentally and emotionally you are still a child. Thus, you will likely encounter challenges in most social situations, and your Storyteller may require you to subtract one or more dice from rolls involving your Social dice pools.
Source: Ghouls Pg 138.

Offensive to Animals (2pt. Flaw): Ghouls and revenants who take the Offensive to Animals Flaw will have difficulty in their encounters with animals. Dogs, wolves, bats, birds, and other creatures will act hostile toward the character whenever she’s around, and will likely attack the closer the character gets. Much like the vampiric Flaw of the same name, a ghoul or revenant who is Offensive to Animals may find it challenging to walk freely in certain areas. Animals will bark, howl, whine, and make noise when the character approaches them. They may not directly attack the ghoul unless provoked, but they will clearly be aggressive or, alternatively, might flee from the area. This Flaw is not recommended for ghouls or revenants who either plan on using the Animalism Discipline or come into contact with characters that do.
Source: Ghouls Pg 138.

Romantic Notions (2pt. Flaw): You believe your entire existence as a ghoul is a marked improvement over your previous life, and you are convinced you owe it all to your domitor. You feel your domitor needs you, you’d die without her, and that every feeding is an act of pure love. When your domitor attempts to use either Dominate or Presence on your character, your Willpower is at -2. This Flaw is in effect regardless of how you react to the blood bond, and while under its influence you may feel an even stronger sense of artificial love toward your domitor. This Flaw does not affect revenants, who were born with their condition, in the same way as it does ghouls. At the Storyteller’s discretion, only a revenant who feels romantically inclined toward a specific vampire who has the use of Dominate and Presence may take this Flaw. Independent ghouls may not purchase this Flaw, as it does not make sense narratively for them to be romantically inclined toward a specific vampire.
Source: Ghouls Pg 138.

Vitae Sink (3pt. Flaw): For whatever reason, your ghoul or revenant metabolizes vitae more quickly than others do. You must be fed every two weeks, rather than once every month, or risk losing all supernatural Traits and will revert to your natural state. Few ghouls with this Flaw last beyond their natural life spans, unless their domitors are especially devoted to them. At this increased rate, however, it is likely that missed feedings might happen, which is why this Flaw is deadly to independent ghouls. Revenants who suffer from Vitae Sink replenish their natural vitae at half the rate they normally might.
Source: Ghouls Pg 139.

Supernatural

Wyrm-Tainted (4 pt. Flaw)

Whether through your own twisted actions in the Wyrm’s service, an unfortunate hereditary blemish, or through sheer bad supernatural luck, you reek of Wyrm-taint. Because certain Gifts enable a Garou to identify you as marked by the Wyrm, most werewolves may try to kill you outright! This Flaw is not to be taken lightly. You should work with your Storyteller to determine how you acquired this taint, unless you want it to be a mystery to your character.
Source(s): Kin Pg 64.

Physical

Unscented (1 pt. Flaw)

For some reason, you have no noticeable body odor. Your scent is so faint as to be practically undetectable by animals and Garou. This may work to your advantage while hiding from scent-driven predators (and many humans may prefer a neutral-smelling person), this fact is a decided disadvantage among Garou. They are likely to instinctually distrust anyone without a scent, suspecting that he or she is using supernatural means to hide Wyrm taint. No Gifts, such as Scent of the True Form, can reveal you as Kinfolk. Among a group of people who rely heavily on their sense of smell, you have a distinct disability.
Source(s): Kin Pg 64.

This category is for Fomori, Kami, Drones and Gorgons
Supernatural

Spirit’s Mark (Flaw) (2pt. Flaw):The spirit riding you bleeds over into the physical world a bit. You aren't physically any different (not as a result of this Trait, anyway) but you exude a certain aura.
What exactly that aura feels like depends on a) whether Spirit's Mark is a Merit or a Flaw and b) what kind of spirit possesses you. An attractive fomor might reek of pure lust, granting a -2 on all Seduction-related difficulties. A Kami possessed by a predator-spirit might engender a feeling similar to the Curse in humans (+1 to Social difficulties not related to Intimidation). The Storyteller should work with the player to decide what kind of feeling the character gives off and how it translates into game play. Generally, it should be worth a difficulty adjustment of 1 or 2, depending on how specific the feeling is..
This can also be a merit. Source(s): Possessed A Players Guide, pg. 106

Physical
Alien Impression (1-5 pt. Flaw)
Your appearance freaks people out. Perhaps it’s your lidless serpentine stare, your cobalt-blue skin, or the wings jutting from between your shoulder blades. It might not even be a feature of your visual appearance, per se; maybe you’ve got a synthetic techno-voice, a crackling aura of prickly invisible energy, or an uncanny way of moving when you walk. Whatever the specifics might be, your presence evokes whispers, unease, or — at the highest levels — outright fear. The more disturbing your impression, the more this Flaw (originally known as Alien Appearance) is worth:

• (1 point) Minor feature, generally concealable, that inspires minor discomfort from people who notice it.
  
• (2 points) Noticeable feature, hard to conceal, that inspires discomfort in people who notice it.
  
• (3 points) Major feature, difficult if not impossible to conceal, that weirds out most people who notice it.
  
• (4 points) Unmistakably alien feature that rather frightens most people.
  
• (5 points) You stand out almost anywhere a human mage might go.
  

Minor features include oddly colored eyes, artificial tone of voice, eerie lightness or density of form, and so forth. Noticeable ones get stranger and more troubling for the average mundane (horns, sharp claws, animalistic hair), with major and unmistakable features becoming more overt and less “natural” by earth-reality standards (winged people, six-legged horses, cybernetic wolves… you get the picture). Creatures at the highest level of this Flaw might not be frightening, but cannot blend into anything resembling “normal” human society (dragons, “gray”-style aliens, unicorns that clearly are not horses with a horn attached, that sort of thing).
Obviously, this Flaw means nothing if your chronicle is set in some place where your character’s “alien” impression is normal. A unicorn in New York City is alien, but the same unicorn at a faerie festival seems perfectly mundane.
Source(s): M20 Gods & Monsters, pg. 195

Bizarre Hunger (2-5pt Flaw)
Your daily bread is... odd. Like the gold-eating hen or the ghul, you must consume dangerous, expensive or revolting substances in order to stay healthy. If you cannot satisfy this hunger, you begin losing Health Levels at the rate of one per day after the first day of abstinence. Although you may eat more conventional food, you derive no sustenance from it. In general, the more appalling or inconvenient the substance required, the greater the Flaw. Examples include:
Flaw Food
2 points Manure, fresh eggs, paper
3 points Rotten meat, mare's milk, silk
4 points Virgin's blood, dead humans, gold
5 points Water from the Jordan, live humans, diamonds
Source(s): Bygone Bestiary, pg. 107

Weak Spot (3 pt. Physical Flaw)
Thanks to an injury, a curse, or some other handicap, you’ve got a vulnerable spot. Attacks that strike that area inflict extra damage and might also incapacitate you. This infirmity could be a gap in your armor, a badly healed limb, weakened bones, a shut-off switch, or a joint that tends to dislocate. Whatever it may be, this weak spot allows an attacker to penetrate your usual defenses and take you down hard.
A successful strike on your weak spot inflicts two unsoakable health levels of aggravated damage; if that damage would have been aggravated to begin with, it inflicts two more health levels’ worth of damage than it would have if the attack had hit you elsewhere.
Weak spots like this tend to be hard to spot and harder to exploit. To realize it exists, your opponent must first successfully roll her Perception or Intelligence (whichever is higher) + an Ability that might help her recognize your weak spot for what it is. A physical weak spot might involve Medicine; a mechanical one, Technology or Hypertech; a metaphysical one, Lore, Occult, or a suitable Esoterica discipline. The roll’s difficulty is 8, but it might go higher under especially difficult conditions (darkness, heavy rain, obscuring smoke, and so forth).
Spotting the weak spot is easier than hitting the weak spot. A targeted shot at your vital area adds +4 to the attacker’s difficulty when she’s trying to strike it.
As an optional rule, the Storyteller might declare that a random, untargeted attack that scores six successes or more when trying to hit you automatically inflicts the damage associated with your weak spot.
If you define your weak spot as a flimsy joint, automatic shut-down system, or other liability, the Storyteller may replace the aggravated damage with an appropriate condition: Your leg dislocates, your systems deactivate, your cybernetic limb stops working, etc. However it is defined, this condition lasts until you manage to get it fixed, turned back on by a third party, and so forth.
Regardless of its definition, location, and effects, Weak Spot can be a devastating Flaw. It’s also traditional, though — almost every epic monster has one. Mad inventors tend to install such failsafes in case their creations get out of hand, too, and most Technocratic constructs have a suitable weakness that a properly trained operative can activate. These intentional design flaws, however, are changed out regularly, with their schematics provided only on a need-to-know basis to managers and agents with the proper security clearances. After all, the Union doesn’t want random Deviants taking advantage of backup safety systems designed for the use of Union personnel! Agents tasked with taking down a rogue construct, however, will probably get briefed about the nature and location of that construct’s shut-down feature.
Source(s): M20 Gods & Monsters, pg. 200

No Dexterous Limbs (4 pt. Flaw)
Though you’ve got paws, jaws, or other ways of grasping and manipulating many objects, you lack the complex prehensile fingers that allow you full access to the human world. Sure, you could pick up a laptop in your mouth or push a door open with your paws; you won’t be using that laptop’s keyboard very well, though, and you’re helpless before a locked doorknob. Horses, dogs, eagles, and the like are extremely smart and clever beasts, but even when their intellect and perspective approach human levels of cognition, such critters won’t get much use out of, say, a smartphone.
Animals with precise prehensile digits (like monkey fingers) or limbs (like tentacles) should take the Ungainly Fingers Flaw instead of this one.
Source(s): M20 Gods & Monsters, pg. 197

Limbless (5 pt. Flaw)
You possess no arms, legs, or other usable limbs other than perhaps a prehensile tail. You’re a serpent, you’re a blob, you’re a worm or snail or something else like that. In order to manipulate your surroundings in a human world, you must use Telekinesis or a related power that can maneuver those things for you. This Flaw doesn’t mean you’re slow or clumsy; it does mean, though, that you can’t employ most human tools, climb ladders, or grab things with anything other than your mouth or tail.
A character with this Flaw cannot also take No Dexterous Limbs.
Source(s): M20 Gods & Monsters, pg. 197

Supernatural
Offensive To Animals (1pt Flaw)
Many magical beasts engender fear and hatred in the lesser beasts. Horses shy at gryphon scent, for example.You cause such fear in other creatures.Unless the Storyteller explicitly rules otherwise, no mundane animal will have anything to do with you, and may startle, cry out or otherwise object to your presence. Even mundane animals may have this Flaw if they've been tainted by the supernatural (or just smell weird). In game terms,you have a two-die penalty for any action involving other animals (except, of course, fighting them), and you cannot interact with one without causing a fuss.
Source(s): Bygone Bestiary, pg. 107

Weak Spot (3pt Flaw)

There's a literal chink in your armor, a place where an opponent can badly wound you. This might be a horse's bad leg, a roc's fragile skull, or a vital spot in a wyvern's hide. A successful strike there bypasses any armor you might have and inflicts two unsoakable Health Levels of aggravated damage (or two extra Health Levels if the attack was already aggravated); a hit with which your opponent scores five successes or more inflicts double that amount.
In many cases, your weak spot is a secret. If you're especially notorious or ancient, or if your frailty is inherent to your kind, an attacker with the right information (Intelligence + Hearth Wisdom or your species' Lore, difficulty 8) might have heard about it. Even if she has, however, knowing about the spot and hitting it are two different things. A targeted shot on your vital area adds four to the attacker's usual difficulty. As an optional rule, the Storyteller might decide that a random strike that scores six successes or more hits the Weak Spot for normal (that is, two aggravated Health Levels) damage, while one that hits with more than eight (exceedingly unlikely!) cripples you with four aggravated Health Levels. This can be a deadly Flaw to take.
Source(s): Bygone Bestiary, pg. 109

Thaumivore (5 pt. Supernatural Flaw)
To survive in the material world, you must consume the lifeblood energy of Creation that mages call Quintessence. Without it, you suffer debilitating hunger, weaken steadily, and eventually perish and fade into nothingness.
Ideally, you consume solidified Quintessence in the form of Tass. Your patron mage can feed you raw-energy Quintessence, but it’s not terribly satisfying. Although a steady diet of it won’t harm you, it will leave you grouchy enough to reconsider the terms of your relationship. Ideally, you’ll be given a regular diet of metaphysically energized substances — magic toadstools, enchanted amulets, batteries charged with raw lightning pulled from the heavens, that sort of thing. The nature of your food, of course, must suit your innate nature; trying to feed a unicorn with Technocratic fuel cells will go about as poorly as trying to recharge a HIT Mark with goblin fruit. (In game terms, no — that won’t work.)
System-wise, your character must devour at least one point of Tass or Quintessence per day. Each day he goes without that nourishment, he loses one health level, and suffers a one-die penalty to all his dice pools. This damage cannot be soaked, of course, and if your character passes Incapacitated, he dies, and his body rapidly decays until nothing’s left at all. Once he begins to feed again, all previous damage heals. His mood, however, might take quite a while to abate…
This Flaw can (and probably should) be taken in connection with the Flaw: Unbelief.
Source(s): M20 Gods & Monsters, pg. 199
Unbelief (3, 5, or 8 pt. Supernatural Flaw)
Once upon a time, your kind may have freely wandered the mortal realm. The centuries, however, have not been kind to your sort, and now the weight of human disbelief has turned you into a walking paradox… or literally speaking, a Paradox. On the other hand, you might be a hypertech entity whose existence offends the natural world. Regardless of the details, you fit in only within certain surroundings, and violate reality in most others. Unless you remain hidden in a region where culture, solitude, or both protect you, the weight of disbelief soon crushes you out of existence.
Thanks to this Flaw, you must remain within a Reality Zone (see Mage 20, pp. 611-617) that’s appropriate to your essential nature. A pair of shisa hanging out in the Ryukyu Islands are literally part of the landscape so long as they don’t bite the tourists; a devilish imp in a wizard’s workshop is pretty much de rigueur for such a place; a white hart dashing through the English mists belongs to that land as surely as any human resident. Transplant such creatures to other settings, though, and the weight of the modern Consensus soon proves fatal… not for the hart, perhaps, but surely for any less-natural thing.
In game terms, this Flaw reflects the character’s affront to Consensus Reality outside of a specific sort of Reality Zone. That character remains healthy inside an appropriate Zone but suffers damage once she leaves the Zone and wanders around a world that’s not ready to deal with her existence.
That damage assumes two levels of severity: painful, in which the creature’s essential nature clashes with the area she’s in; and fatal, in which the creature’s nature is so deeply opposed to that area that her body begins to break down under the force of Unbelief.

• Painful: One health level of bashing damage per turn, which becomes lethal damage once the character’s health levels run out (As per Mage 20, p. 406).
  
• Fatal: One health level of aggravated damage per turn. This damage cannot be soaked, as its cause is metaphysical, not physical.
  

The value of this Flaw depends upon how remote the safe Zone is from the rest of the world, and how “allergic” the character is to places outside her home territory.
As shown in the “Reality Zones” section of Mage 20, the three categories of Zones are: Technocratic Reality, Localized Reality, and Primal Reality. Any character with this Flaw is at least uncomfortable (that is, vulgar) in relation to the Earthly Foundations of material reality.

• 3 points: The character is comfortable in most types of Zones, suffers painful damage in an opposed category of Zones (say, Technocratic Reality vs. Primal Reality), and gets fatally damaged by specific Zones that are diametrically opposed to the character’s nature (a robot in a Mystic Region, for example, or a forest-spirit in a Technological Installation).
  
• 5 points: The character is comfortable only within a specific category of Zone, suffers pain in most others, and gets fatally damaged by an opposed category of Zones.
  
• 8 points: The character is comfortable only in a specific type of Zone (like a Node, a Rural Area, or a Technological Installation), suffers pain in most places in that category of Zones, and gets fatally damaged in any other category of Zones.
  

When creating the character, decide which type of Reality Zone is most suitable for this creature, which types make her uncomfortable, and which types conflict with her innate nature. A Cyber-Tooth Tiger with 8 points in this Flaw, for example, will be perfectly at home in a Technocratic Construct (a specific type of Zone), feels uncomfortable in the middle of a mundane city (even though it’s still part of Technocratic Reality), and quickly perishes in a Primal Zone where such hypertech is anathema.
If taken by a character with the Thaumivore Flaw, the fatal damage becomes bashing damage, and the painful damage disappears entirely, so long as the character eats at least one point of suitable Tass or Quintessence per day. If he is not fed regularly, though, or if that food supply abruptly ends (as it might if the mage and her familiar get cut off from each other), then the damage kicks in immediately if the creature’s stuck in a “fatal” category Zone. For what ought to be obvious reasons, that Tass or Quintessence must suit the creature in question; an android grazing on magic mushrooms is courting immediate shutdown mode.
A character who dies of Unbelief begins to decay almost instantly. Like a cinematic vampire in the sun, the corpse crumbles to dust, bursts into flame, fades away, dissolves into a puddle of goo, collapses into a heap of bones, or performs some other suitable act of rapid disintegration. Within a minute or two, nothing but unidentifiable debris remains where that creature died. Certain spells (usually ones dealing with the Life, Matter, Prime, or Time Spheres) or hedge-magic mystic rites might preserve bits of the dead critter; the Technocracy, of course, has hypertech Procedures that preserve the remains for later research. As far as the average human bystander goes, though, a creature who perishes from Unbelief becomes just another mystery to be argued about in seminars, labs, and — of course — the internet.
This Flaw does not apply at all to the fluid reality of the Umbrae. It may, however, apply to Umbral Realms, the Old Roads, and so forth if the vision of reality in such a place is diametrically opposed to the character’s nature — an android in Midrealm, for example, or a tree-spirit in a Technocratic space station.
Source(s): M20 Gods & Monsters, pg. 199

Social
Animal (2 pt. Flaw)
In a human-centric world, you aren’t human. I mean, it’s cool and everything that you’re a fox or a bear or a cat or a raven, but the majority of your surroundings aren’t made for you, folks call Animal Control when you walk around without a leash, bystanders keep trying to pet you, bus drivers refuse to let you on the bus, fleas burrow into your fur, adults speak to you in baby talk, etc. Obviously, this Flaw doesn’t count if you can change into a human form. For Flaws dealing with an inability to manipulate human tools and so forth, see No Hands and Ungainly Fingers. If being an animal isn’t a hindrance in your chronicle, then this Flaw does not apply at all.

Source(s): M20 Gods & Monsters, pg. 195
Beta (1 pt. Flaw)
You are born to follow, not to lead. Although capable in your own right, you’re the reliable support staff to your group’s real leaders. Alpha dominance is not your style; instead, you keep the rest of your “pack” in line while following the alpha’s lead in all ways. Challenging authority seems alien to you, and where other companions of yours might seek status and ambition, your interests lay in doing what’s (at least apparently) best for your group as a whole. That’s your role and your duty, and you’re damned proud of both. The common perception of a “beta” as inferior and subservient misses the point: An alpha might get the glory, but the betas keep the pack alive.
Source(s): M20 Gods & Monsters, pg. 195

Omega (4 pt. Flaw)
Like a beta, you occupy a low place in your social hierarchy. But while the beta still retains a position of honor, you don’t. Instead, you occupy the bottom layer of your group’s social structure. You get whatever they choose to give you and take whatever they dish out. Verbal and perhaps physical abuse are your daily lot, and although the group will generally protect you from outside forces, no one will protect you from your group.
Although this Flaw generally raises the difficulty of your Social rolls by +2 when you deal with parties outside your group, and by +4 within that group, certain Social rolls (for Intimidation and perhaps Seduction) might remain unaffected if you’re a dangerous sort of beast. After all, an omega wolf is still a wolf, and the beast who cowers from his packmates could still rip out a human’s throat.
Source(s): M20 Gods & Monsters, pg. 197

Mental
Broken (5 pt. Flaw)
Your will to resist has been trashed. Your master broke you to her service, and her wish is your command. Maybe she’s the mad scientist who created you, the psi-ops Technocrat who destroyed your will, the necromancer who crafted you from the bodies of the dead, or the wizard who bound you with ancient pacts and potent spells. The abuse she used to break you may have been subtle: emotional manipulation, pervasive gaslighting, social isolation, and the like. Then again, she might tyrannize you with raw brutality, terrorize you with fears of damnation and destruction, compel obedience through blackmail, torment you with magick and crime… Hell, she might use every trick in the book to keep you in line. It works, too. What master says, you do. It’s far too late to resist.
A seriously nasty Flaw, this Trait reflects the ugly side of paranormal lore. Your character was, and remains, abused into servitude, and whatever your Willpower Trait might be with regards to other tasks, it’s only 1 when it comes to standing up to your dominator. Circumstances can change this situation, of course, but the recovery from such staggering abuse should involve powerful roleplaying and long-term consequences for every character involved.
For many obvious reasons, this Flaw is trigger city for people who’ve been abused in real life and should be employed only with the full consent of all members of your gaming group. That consent can be withdrawn at any time, by any member of the group, and the abusive side of this relationship — if it gets played out in the game at all — remains subject to the safewords and blackout rule detailed in the “Triggers, Limits, and Boundaries” sidebar in Mage 20 (p. 345). The choice to assume or retain this Flaw belongs only to the player who chooses it. If that player decides to abandon the Flaw (and the relationship), the Storyteller should make allowances for that. The player will have to pay the points off, of course, but although your character may be broken, you always have the choice to change the game.
Source(s): M20 Gods & Monsters, pg. 195
Power Source (1-5 pt. Physical Flaw)
You require energy in order to function. Your makers thoughtfully provided a power source for you, but it tends to run out and must be periodically replaced if you’re to stay in good working order.
A common Flaw for robots and cyborgs, this Flaw’s value depends upon the frequency with which your power source must be renewed:

• (1 point) You need a new power source or recharge every 30 days.
  
• (2 points) Every 15 days.
  
• (3 points) Every seven days.
  
• (4 points) Every three days.
  
• (5 points) Every day.
  

For each day you go without a renewed power source, you lose one die from all of your dice pools until a new power source gets installed. The penalty applies to all dice pools equally — not different rates for different pools. When your highest dice pool runs out, you go inactive until you’ve received a new power source. Although that new power source starts you right back up again, an especially long period of inactivity might (Storyteller’s option) damage your systems to the point where you function at half of your normal dice pools until an appropriately skilled technician can repair you.
Characters with Technocratic power sources can be recharged easily so long as there’s a supply of the correctly standardized power sources available. Characters with unusual, ancient, experimental, or unique power sources would be much harder to resupply, especially if only a limited number of such power sources exist.
Although it’s generally intended for mechanical characters, the power source in question might also be mystical (specially cut jade crystals bathed in sunlight), metaphysical (an hour of meditation with a properly trained monk), or else otherwise paranormal or immaterial (the light of the full moon, a gallon of bats’ blood, rocks collected at the Burning Man festival, etc.).
Source(s): M20 Gods & Monsters, pg. 198
Ungainly Fingers (2 pt. Physical Flaw)
Although you can manipulate most human devices with your fingers, claws, or tentacles, you lack the physical shape, leverage, or reflexes to manipulate such things well. Add +2 to your difficulty when you’re trying to employ a sophisticated object, fragile item, precision device, and so forth. This penalty does not reflect your overall lack of dexterity; you could, in fact, be far more agile than those clumsy human beings. The human world, though, is built and shaped for people, and because you’re not a person, you have a harder time working with stuff designed specifically for their hands and limbs.
Source(s): M20 Gods & Monsters, pg. 200

Archetypes

A - CD - HI - PQ - W

Addict
Become utterly fixated on one passion.
Regain Willpower when you gorge yourself on a chosen passion.

Adherent
Pledge yourself to one cause above everything else.
Regain Willpower when you remain loyal to your cause despite hardships.

Adjudicator
Work to solve problems that affect your surroundings.
Regain Willpower whenever your attempts of providing solutions yield immediate results.

Alpha
Lead other by example.
Regain Willpower whenever your leadership is proven to be the most beneficial.

Anarchist
Live by your own rules! Fuck higher powers and society!
Regain a point of Willpower whenever you reject unnecessary rules, laws, or social norms and achieve success because of it.

Architect
Strive to create something out of a sense of greater purpose. Your strength is Purpose, while your weakness is Obsession.
Regain Willpower when you establish something of lasting value.

Artiste
Try to reach others through your creations.
Regain Willpower whenever you reach an audience through your works.

Autocrat
Seek power and prominence for its own sake. Your strength is Leadership and your weakness is Dictatorship.
Regain Willpower when you gain control over a group or organization of other individuals.

Barbarian
Keep your distance from civilization, instead trusting the old ways.
Regain Willpower when you prove the values of your “barbaric” ways over civilization.

Benefactor
Work to protect the people around you. Your strength is Altruism, while your weakness is Obligation.
Regain Willpower when you do something someone else desperately needs.

Beta
Act as supporter for your group’s superior.
Regain Willpower whenever your counsel proves beneficial for the group. Lose Willpower when the leader is proven inefficient.

Bon Vivant
Try to enjoy life as long as it lasts. Your strength is your Love of Life, while your weakness is Hedonism.
Regain Willpower when you truly enjoy yourself.

Bravo
Use your power to bully others into submission. Your strength is Strength, while your weakness is Anger.
Regain Willpower when you achieve your agenda through brutishness or intimidation.

Capitalist
Strive to make profit by selling your commodities.
Regain Willpower when you make a successful sale.

Caregiver
Take comfort in consoling others. Your strength is Compassion, while your weakness comes from Smothering.
Regain Willpower when you nurture someone else.

Caretaker
Shepherd the flock around you to safety. Your strength is a Sense of Duty, while your weakness is Impatience.
Regain Willpower when you avert a disaster from your flock.

Celebrant
Take great joy out of your passion. Your strength is Passion, while your weakness is Intemperance.
Regain Willpower whenever you pursue or manage to convert another character to your passion. Lose Willpower when denied or suffering a disastrous failure.

Chameleon
Constantly alter your mannerisms and appearance.
Regain Willpower whenever you fool someone into thinking you’re someone else for your benefit.

Child
Be ignorant about the larger world around you. Your strength is Innocence, while your weakness is Immaturity.
Regain Willpower when you convince someone else to take care about you and your problems without benefit for themselves.

Critic
The Critic, driven by a duty to improve the world, scrutinizes and publicly highlights flaws, deriving satisfaction from exposing weaknesses to encourage better design.
Regain a point of Willpower whenever you find a flaw in a design or plan and then improve upon it.

Competitor
Put yourself against the world’s odds. Your strength is Striving, while your weakness is Competitiveness.
Regain Willpower when you succeed at a challenge.

Conformist
Play your strengths in groups. Your strength is cooperation, while your weakness is Low Self-Esteem.
Regain Willpower when your group achieves a goal thanks to your support.

Conniver
Seek ways to let others work for you. Your strength is Cleverness, while your weakness is Envy.
Regain Willpower when you trick someone to serve your interests.

Coward
Hide your true self from all others.
Regain Willpower whenever your reveal something about yourself without being rejected.

Creep Show
Strive to inspire shock and disgust for show.
Regain Willpower whenever someone is appalled by your actions.

Crusader
Fight for an ideal of yours. Your strength is Zeal, while your weakness is Fanaticism.
Regain Willpower when you do something great in the name of a higher cause.

Curmudgeon
Constantly expect the worst to happen. Your strength is your Critical Eye, while your weakness is your Lack of Imagination.
Regain Willpower whenever someone does something specific and negative, just like you said they would.

Dabbler
Seek to find new interests.
Regain Willpower whenever you devote yourself to a new interest on the cost of an old one.

Defender
Protect something over yourself.
Regain Willpower when you successfully defend your charge.

Deviant
Reject traditional social mores for your own. Your strength is your ability to Shatter Boundaries, while your weakness is Perversion.
Regain Willpower whenever you manage to flout social customs.

Devil’s Advocate
Question the commands from your superiors. Your strength is Skepticism, while your weakness is Contrariness.
Regain Willpower when your questions reveal flaws in a plan or structure.

Director
Work to bring order into strife. Your strength is Organization, while your weakness is a Lack of Tolerance.
Regain Willpower when you influence a group to fulfill a difficult task.

Enigma
Work to keep your true intentions hidden.
Regain Willpower whenever someone is perplexed by your actions.

Eye of the Storm
Find yourself constantly in the centre of unrest. Regain Willpower whenever a ruckus, riot, or less violent but equally chaotic phenomenon occurs around you.

Explorer
Strive to discover new places and experiences.
Regain Willpower whenever you sample something new.

Fanatic
Pledge yourself to one goal over all else. Your strength is Dedication, while your weakness is Stubbornness.
Regain Willpower whenever you accomplish a goal directly related to your cause.

Fatalist
Follow the inescapable course of destiny.
Regain Willpower whenever someone receives your personal interpretation of destiny.

Futurist
Pledge yourself to new concepts and ideals.
Regain Willpower whenever you first come upon a progressive idea or object.

Gambler
Trust in luck to take care of you.
Regain Willpower when you succeed against difficult odds.

Gallant
Seek attention and adulation from others. Your strength is Artistry, while your weakness is Flamboyance.
Regain Willpower whenever you impress another person.

Guru
Lead others to spiritual fulfillment.
Regain Willpower whenever someone seeks out your help in spiritual matters and your guidance moves that individual to an enlightened action that she normally would not have taken or you gain a personal epiphany.

Heretic
Refuse to accept a commonly held creed. Your strength is Integrity, while your weakness is Iconoclasm.
Regain Willpower whenever your challenge commonly held convictions and convince other people of your belief.

Hunter
Always prepare yourself for the hunt.
Regain Willpower whenever you manage to outperform a rival or defeat your prey through cunning and patience.

Idealist
Believe into a higher ideal than yourself.
Regain Willpower when your ideal furthers your goals and brings your ideal closer to fruition.

Judge
Seek to improve the system by using rational conclusions. Your strength is Justice, your weakness your Lack of Vision.
Regain Willpower whenever you correctly solve a problem by considering the evidence presented, or when one of your arguments unites dissenting parties.

Loner
Keep your own company. Your strength is Self-Reliance, while your weakness is a Lack of Empathy.
Regain Willpower when you achieve something alone that will still benefit your group.

Machine
Push yourself to your limits to transcend mortal weakness. Your strength is Work Ethic, your weakness is Burn-Out.
Regain Willpower when you manage to press on and transcend the limits of flesh.

Maniac
Be compelled by internal voices to strange actions.
Regain Willpower whenever you fulfill a goal of the voices that goes against your immediate self-interests.

Martyr
Sacrifice yourself for your cause. Your strength is Sacrifice, your weakness is Self-Deprecation.
Regain Willpower when you suffer some amount of damage or loss of a definable resource for your ideals or another’s immediate gain.

Masochist
Draw pleasure from suffering and testing your boundaries. Your strength is Devotion, while your weakness is Self-Destructiveness.
Regain Willpower when your own suffering leads to some tangible gain for you, and two points of Willpower whenever you experience pain in a truly unique way.

Masquerader
Leave no footprints to mortals.
Regain Willpower whenever you resolve a situation without anyone finding out, or even suspecting, that you are more than just an ordinary mortal. Extraordinary circumstances may merit extra points.

Meddler
Constantly try to interfere into other’s affairs to aid them.
Regain Willpower when your interference proves beneficial despite protests.

Melancholic
Feel ennui at all that you have lost.
Regain Willpower whenever you cause other to question their cursed natures.

Monster
Seek to understand your own depravity by acting on it. Your strength is your Mirror of Villainy, while your weakness is Depravity.
Regain Willpower whenever your further vices associated with your monstrousness.

Nihilist
The Nihilist, believing life lacks objective purpose or value, feels justified in indulging in destructive passions without moral restraint.
Regain a point of Willpower whenever you engage in self-destructive behavior.

Omega
Accept your place at the bottom rung of your group.
Regain Willpower whenever you achieve a deed that should be worthy of recognition.

Outsider
Define yourself by things you do not participate in.
Regain Willpower whenever you learn something about yourself through decisions that are made by others.

Paragon
Embody straightforwardness and simplicity in your actions.
Regain Willpower whenever your straight dealings prove most successful over deception.

Pedagogue
Share your knowledge with those around you. Your strength is Knowledge, your weakness is Logorrhea.
Regain Willpower whenever you see or learn of someone who has benefited from the wisdom you shared with them.

Penitent
Strive to do penance for your sins. Your strength is Responsibility, while your weakness is Contrition.
Regain Willpower whenever you feel that you have achieved absolution for a given grievance.

Perfectionist
Work to achieve the best result possible. Your strength is Exactitude, while your weakness is Incompleteness.
Regain Willpower whenever your work has no discernible flaws.

Quaestor
Yearn to answer life’s questions.
Regain Willpower whenever you reach a concise life lesson that could become a rule of thumb.

Rebel
Fight against established authorities. Your strength is Individuality, while your weakness is your Lack of Direction.
Regain Willpower whenever your actions adversely affect your opposition.

Recognition Seeker
You want to be recognized.
Regain Willpower point whenever anyone realizes for the first time that you are more than just another mortal.

Reluctant Reborn
You have a hard time accepting your new life. Your moods often swing between denial and depression.
Gain one permanent point of Willpower when you realize and accept the truth about what you have become. After this, choose another Nature.

Rogue
Focus on your own gain over that of others. Your strength is Valor, while your weakness is Selfishness.
Regain Willpower whenever your self-focus leads to profit.

Sadist
Inflict pain and misery on others.
Regain Willpower whenever you inflict pain on another person for your own amusement.

Scientist
Work to achieve understanding of your surroundings via a critical method.
Regain Willpower whenever a logical, systematic approach to a problem helps you solve it, or information gathered logically is of use in another, similar situation.

Seer
Glimpses of the future haunt you.
Regain Willpower whenever your visions shed light on an enigma or allow someone greater insights.

Sociopath
Strive to eradicate weakness.
Regain Willpower whenever you are the greatest contributor to a body count after everything has settled down.

Soldier
Work within the chain of command to fulfill your duties.
Regain Willpower whenever you fulfill your mission by following orders or when following orders turned out to be the best course of a mission.

Stoic
Maintain your composure under all circumstances.
Regain Willpower when you overcome serious setbacks and losses without giving into strong emotions.

Survivor
Strive to survive all odds. Your strength is Perseverance, while your weakness is a Lack of Trust.
Regain Willpower whenever you survive a dangerous situation or others do thanks to your counsel.

Thrill-Seeker
Actively seek the rush of danger. Your strength is Daring, while your weakness is Recklessness.
Regain Willpower whenever you succeed at a dangerous task that you have deliberately undertaken.

Traditionalist
Keep on established routines. Your strength is Consistency, while your weakness is Complacency.
Regain Willpower whenever the proven way turns out to be the best.

Trickster
Find humour and the absurd in all situations. Your strength is Empathy, your weakness is Hypocrisy.
Regain Willpower whenever you manage to lift others’ spirits, especially if you are able to assuage your own pain in the process.

Tycoon
Constantly plot to expand your resources. Your strength is Savviness, while your weakness is Greed.
Regain Willpower whenever your plans yield maximum of influence and profit.

Vigilante
Succeed in your vengeance against a chosen target. Your strength is Single-Mindedness, your weakness is Blood-Blindness.
Regain Willpower when you significantly hurt your target.

Visionary
See beyond the mundane to focus on what things should be. Your strength is Imagination, your weakness is Pride.
Regain Willpower whenever you are able to convince others to have faith in your dreams and follow the course of action dictated by your vision.

Wanderer
Never stay in one place and never form attachments.
Regain one Willpower point whenever you are able to complete your purpose in one place and then move on, leaving no loose ends and no attachments behind.